


Titans Phantom, Season One: Finding

by rinchanmidnight



Series: Titans Phantom [1]
Category: Danny Phantom, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-26 07:45:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 133,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/963374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinchanmidnight/pseuds/rinchanmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny Fenton's family are dead, with no where left except Vlad's, he soon finds himself in Jump City. But will Danny's past allow him to heal? Or will he bring doom to himself and the Teen Titans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny Fenton's family are dead. With no where left to go he soon finds himself in Jumpy City. But will Danny's past allow him to heal? Or will he bring doom upon himself and the Teen Titans?

**_If this is to end..._ **

 

_"I know how men in exile feed on dreams of hope."_

_Aeschylus, 525-456 BC. From Agamemnon_

Titans Phantom

Prologue

Fire. He was on fire. That was Danny Fenton’s only thought as he was dragged down to the trembling earth, the building exploding all around him: blasting him back, slamming him onto the blackening concrete, tearing at his flesh, grating dust burning hot in his lungs. But he didn’t feel any of this. No, awareness only came from the fire spreading out, engulfing the restaurant that once used to be the Nasty Burger. But even as flames lapped at his form, they could not touch him—or if they did, it could never compare to the icy burn in his heart. A chill greater than any explosion…the fire that had shattered Danny’s soul.

For trapped in the now burning hell were his family, or, who used to be his family. Now they were nothing more than ashes darkening the sky. Danny’s whole world just perished in that place: his caring mom, his eccentric dad, his way to smart sister Jazz, his best friend Tucker, and his Sam, all now gone. Sam was gone, and he’d watched her burn along with his family. Danny had not been able to save them. And as he lay on the too hot pavement, ash slowly covering his body, flames licking at his feet, Danny knew that they had forgiven him. They had seen him running, trying to get there and free them from the boiler that was about to explode with them on it… his family had watched him fall, and when he met their eyes he knew, they had forgiven him.  Forgiven him for not making it.

His family had left him. Yet Danny knew he would survive. The fire could not claim him. While tears fell down his face as blackness set into his heart and eyes, Danny knew that in this one moment of blissful unconsciousness, creeping along the edges of sanity, he would be permitted to rest with his family one final time. For when the halfa awoke again on the white bed in room 419, he would be forced into battle once more. If only to keep the promise to the ones he loved. And with this, Danny Fenton fell into their arms, surrounded by rocks and the swirling fire that could not seem touch him, for a small green shield flickered in and out of existence, preventing the flaming burns to scorch his skin. And in this one peaceful moment, Danny could forget the reason why everyone was dead.

 

* * *

 

 

AN: Read & Review

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine. All characters belong to their respectful owners. I can only claim the developing storyline. 

 

 


	2. Forgetting the Final Exam

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting heroes at a pizza place? Not what Danny had in mind.

**_Surely this nightmare will let me be..._ **

 

_"Not the power to remember, but it's very opposite, the power to forget, is a necessary condition for our existence." - Sholem Asch_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 2: Forgetting the Final Exam 

The dream was always the same. It happened every night, always the same time, and every night Danny was awoken drenched in sweat and uncontrollable shaking. This night was no different. Silently he stood, stretching his back as he headed to the bathroom for a shower. As the water heated Danny stepped out of his night pants, he had long since given up the use of a shirt– seeing as how he always managed to rip apart the cotton fabric– and stepped under the spray, letting its scalding heat wash away the horrors. So that Danny could begin his day. For a little over a year now this was his routine: he would wake, shower, dress, and by six be out the door heading to the park for a run.

The morning air was crisp and cool for a Californian day, much to Danny's pleasure. He always found it easier to run in colder weather, most likely due to his ghost powers but still, he didn't complain. Coming around a bend, the sun peeked higher in the sky, casting light right on Titan's Tower, illuminating it for all its worth, and if anyone other than Danny had been there, they would have stopped in awe. But for him it was only a symbol of hypocrisy. The dream steadily worked its way into his vision and Danny had to use all of his strength not to fall onto the concrete and let it take him over. He kept running. He didn't need this pain, gah! Stupid Titans! Stupid Titan's Tower! He was running along the beach now, silently cursing Vlad for requesting he live in Jump City… well not really. Danny would never admit it, especially to the fruitloop but in truth, he was grateful to the man for letting him leave, to not stay in Amity Park, or move to Wisconsin. It made keeping his promise easier. Sometimes. Most days Danny just tried to get by. He was nearing the next curve that would take him past the beach and back on Main Street when suddenly he heard a loud _boom_ , followed shortly by a scream that sounded like it was coming directly above him.

"Shit!" Danny screamed, quickly doing a back flip to avoid being crushed by a giant hunk of metal that hit exactly where he had been. Granted, the impact wouldn't have killed him, but try and explain that to the guy who almost fell on you. Wait a guy? Danny did a double take before realizing that this was the teen named Cyborg from the Teen Titans. _'Oh my day keeps getting better and better,'_ Danny thought vehemently, watching Cyborg grumble as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Oh, man what hit me?"

"Concrete, and sand." Danny added as an afterthought.

The answer caused Cyborg to jump, literally, for he hadn't known there was a person standing not two feet from him. Least of all a teen wearing a long-sleeve black shirt, and dark blue jeans that covered his black combat boots, giving him an overall gothic appearance, yet none of this caught Cyborg's attention. No, what caught him were the teen's eyes. They were a pale crystalline ice blue. The kind that made every being, no matter what age, gender, friend or foe, stop and stare into their depths. Cyborg didn't know how long he'd been staring but he mentally shook himself awake when he noticed the teen bend down and proceed to wave his hand in front of his face.

"Quit it." Cyborg snapped annoyed, and a little bit flustered.

"Oh, good you speak. I was afraid you'd gotten brain damage from just sitting on the ground." Danny said sarcastically.

_'Okay, now that's just cold.'_ Cyborg thought. But something else dawned on him. Why was this kid out here in the first place?

"Hey what are you doing out here anyway? Besides insulting my brain," he asked.

"Running; and if you don't mind, I'd like to continue."

With that, Cyborg watched as the strange kid with ice for eyes continued his run. Slowly, Cy stood, brushing off the sand that still clung to his form but none of that mattered. No, what mattered was that kid who had looked at him not with awe, or concern, just disdain, and fear? Cyborg wasn't sure what that look was about, maybe he'd just startled the kid? But that probably wasn't the case _. ‘Ugh, today wasn't good to be a good day.’_ Cyborg thought turning back to the Tower, he made a mental note to never try and teach Starfire wrestling again.

* * *

 

Danny made sure not to stop, to not look back, to only run. He'd actually met one of those so called heroes and what was worse, he’d actual stuck around to make sure that idiot was okay! _'Stupid hero complex, why can't you just leave me alone,'_ Danny screamed, deciding to mentally picture his hero complex as a chibi, proceeding to then pulverize it with a sledge hammer. No, today wasn't going to be a good day. Sighing, Danny stopped in front of his store pondering the pros and cons of keeping it closed for the day, to wander aimlessly around town instead. But Danny thought better of it. For his family's faces were dancing behind his eyelids, and if he wandered, he would only end up home staring at their picture by his mirror. And that was something Danny wished to avoid, so he unlocked his store, which also was his house, but only he knew that, and switched the closed sign to open, waiting for the day to begin.

Meanwhile at Titan's Tower, Cyborg was having similar feelings. First, he'd gotten his butt kicked by Starfire at wrestling, and now Beastboy just had to go and lose the remote… and his toothpaste, and his football, and the waffle iron, things were not looking well.

"Things disappear, how am I supposed to know where they go?" Beastboy said indignantly.

"How am I supposed to watch TV without a _remote?!"_ Cyborg screamed. Sometimes he really wanted to strangle the little grass stain.

With this, a pale girl in dark blue clothes stood, snapping here book shut in annoyance, sometimes she'd wish these two would stop acting so childish.

"Simple, you get up and change the channel." Raven deadpanned, her voice revealing nothing to her emotions.

Quickly an argument pursued, Beastboy defending what was left of his pride, Raven arguing that the argument was pointless, Cyborg just wanting his remote. Robin, who had entered with Starfire, was currently trying to defuse the situation while Starfire went to go bring the _'unhealthy foods to mend this problem'._ Unfortunately, the fridge was currently growing some blue fuzzy mold that liked to scream at people, prompting Starfire to blast it with her star-bolts getting the wonderful substance all over herself, along the entire kitchen, and the rest of the Titans.

As the team all looked at the stuff dripping down from the ceiling in disgust, Robin in the middle of the group, offered a simple compromise, while trying not to vomit at the horrendous blue sight.

"Maybe, we should just go out for pizza,” he said when a particularly large piece of blue goop dripped down from the ceiling and onto his arm. Everyone agreed.

* * *

 

It was nearing twelve and Danny was starting to get hungry. Looking at the clock he decided to wait a few extra minutes for all of his customers to finish what they were doing. They all knew he closed up shop from twelve to one to allow people, and him, lunch.

"Okay, I'm closing up in five, so if you want to buy something I suggest you do so now." Danny said. Four or five customers came up to ask if the books they wanted were for sale, while the rest of the customers simply filed out, one girl even switched his sign to ‘closed’ for him, which he was grateful for. Books paid for, store locked up, Danny headed out to lunch. Walking down the street, Danny decided that he was in a pizza mood today, after all, he did run into a freakin' Titan. Or more like Cyborg just had to, 'drop in' on him. Danny chuckled at his bad joke, it'd been a long time since he'd made one, if only to make fun of the hero. The day steadily started looking brighter, but as fate would have it, that didn't last long. For once he walked past the clear white doors leading to the outside awning, there, sitting at the far table, was none other than the 'heroes' themselves. Danny abruptly did a one-eighty, prepared to head right back out the doors when over all other conversations, he heard Cyborg yell,

"Hey you, ice guy!"

Everyone froze, Danny praying that Cyborg wasn't talking to him, the Titans all trying to figure out who the heck Cyborg was yelling at. "Uh, Cyborg, who are you talking to?" Robin asked.

"Him, the guy with messy black hair," he replied.

At this point, Danny knew there was no possible way to escape except nod and say hello, and then proceed as quickly as possible out the door, or if need be, jump off the roof. It was only a two story drop, perfectly manageable in human form. Because now the rest of the Titans had a pretty good idea of which teen 'ice guy' was. Danny turned around and made his way over to the Teen Titans, looking as if life itself hated him.

"Yes," Danny asked careful not to sound rude.

"Um, I just wanted to say thanks man for making sure I was okay. Star really let me have it." Cyborg said a little flustered.

"I wasn't making sure you were alright, I was making sure you didn't try and nearly fall on me, again," and with this Danny finally met Cyborg's eyes and everyone quickly realized why Cy had called him ice guy. At Danny's statement, Cyborg quickly turned red.

"Oh, well thanks anyway."

Danny couldn't help but sigh, he'd been rude. Granted, Cyborg deserved it, after all he and friends were sitting here playing 'hero' but he didn't need Danny's frustrations taken out on him. Reigning in his emotions, he tried again.

"Anyways, is there any other reason why you called me over?" Danny asked, and with this Starfire jumped at the opportunity.

"Yes, what is your name? Do you live here? What is your favorite color? And would you like to be my friend?" She asked somehow turning four questions into one.

Danny found himself sighing yet again. He didn't have time for this; he didn't have time for them. He glared at Starfire who looked as if she'd been frozen to the spot.

"Danny, yes, don't have one, and not really."

His voice was clipped and with each answer Starfire seemed to shrink back, as if his very words where stabbing her. Silence descended upon the table, Starfire now refusing to meet the strange boy's eyes once more, for in them she had seen such vivid pain.

"Dude, you didn't have to be so heartless." Beastboy growled.

This was the wrong thing to say, for Danny turned his gaze now on Beastboy, who animalistically shrunk back in his chair from the look of fire in Danny's gaze.

_"I am not heartless."_ And with this, Danny turned and left the pizza place, his appetite long forgotten, leaving behind five stunned teens. Half-heartedly Cyborg and Beastboy began bickering over a meat or veggie pizza but everyone could tell they weren't into it. Their thoughts were all on Danny. Unbeknownst to them someone was locking onto their signatures; they were alone now, the mission could be initiated.

"This is Gizmo to Jinx, begin phase one."

With this, a pale Goth girl dressed in a black witch dress, with stripped purple and black stockings, with bubble gum pink hair tied into two ponytails the same color as her catlike eyes, released pink magic from her hands. Causing the parked bus to move forward down the incline, towards a small stroller in the middle of the cross walk. Quickly, the Titans leapt into action, Starfire flying down, moving the stroller out of the way as Cyborg stood in front of the bus, it hit him dead on, his force bringing it to a stop as Raven put it back into park.

"Um, don't buses usually have drivers?" Cyborg asked confused.

"And don't baby carriages usually have babies?" Robin asked who was standing over the carriage with Star and BB. And the Teen Titans fell into a trap.

* * *

 

Danny hadn't even made it three blocks when he saw the bubble gum girl move the bus, down the street towards a baby carriage. At this, Danny's first instinct was to save the child, he tensed, his muscles ready to move, when he froze. Why was there a baby carriage in the middle of the street with no mother? Unless— the Titans quickly arrived and saved the baby along with the halting the bus, it was then Danny watched as Robin and the others were blasted back by a green teddy bear— it was a trap. Two minutes. Give or take, that was all it took to defeat the Titans. Danny watched as Cyborg had a rocket strapped to his back and zoom off into the air, Starfire chasing after him. Danny made a mental note to watch where he landed, and make sure it wasn't on him. He watched as Raven was beaten by bubble gum and pipsqueak, Beastboy getting thrown around like a football by Mammoth, until only Robin was left standing.

Danny had to give the kid credit, he wasn't going to go down without a fight, but it still wouldn't be enough. And Danny was right, he watched as Robin was attacked by Gizmo, Jinx and Mammoth, all working as a team to destroy the very ground beneath the leaders feet.

Fear overwhelmed Danny; he ran forward, not even checking to see if anyone was looking at him. He felt his power surge forth, drawing up two blue rings around his body, both travelling in opposite directions until who remained was a teen with snow white hair and glowing green eyes, a white symbol carved on his uniform. His transformation lasted only seconds but to him it felt like an eternity, because Danny couldn't let Robin die. Not like his family, not like Sam. Danny went intangible and flew down into the sewers searching for the Titans' leader.

* * *

 

Raven and Beastboy looked on in horror as Robin disappeared into the gaping hole in the ground. "Robin!" Beastboy yelled, quickly trying to make his way down into the watery depths. Raven cut him short, pulling him back from one of Gizmo's attacks. She continued to pull him back. "What are you doing, Raven? We have to save Robin! Let me go!" Beastboy yelled struggling in her grip as she and Beastboy dodged another wave.

"We can't. We need to leave; remaining here will only result in our deaths." She said. But Raven's voice was straining to remain calm as her desire to search for her friend took hold of her heart.

"We can't leave Robin!" Beastboy yelled again. This time the two Titans weren't so lucky as Mammoth threw heavy street pavement at them, narrowly missing Raven, it clipped Beastboy in the leg. He howled in pain as he and Raven ducked behind a forgotten car.

"I know. But Beastboy, I can't sense Robin's presence here anymore. I-I can't sense it anywhere." This simple statement caused Beastboy's blood to run cold. Raven couldn't sense Robin, she stammered, she was afraid, Raven was never…

"Okay, let's head back to the Tower." Beastboys voice came out hollow; finalizing what Raven had just spoken. Silently, she nodded and turning into a black bird, encompassed Beastboy and dove into the earth racing home, away from the three who had just taken away their leader, and friend.

* * *

 

Danny hadn't been searching long. He found Robin half buried under a pile of rocks, the murky water surging all around. He was unconscious; acting quickly Danny phased Robin out from under the rocks and laid him down in one of the smaller adjacent tunnels. The Titans leader looked a little worse for wear, his uniform was torn around the corners of his mask, his belt was gone, and a chunk of his cape was missing, he also looked more or less like the color of mud. But still alive, Danny took care of the sewer water first, turning both of them intangible to wash the offending substance away and to prevent Robin from getting sick from it. Next was the head injury, which didn't look as bad now, he'd have a bruise but had no concussion and the rest of his body would be sore from the fact that he'd been buried under street rocks. But Robin was alive and that was all that mattered to Danny, he hadn't failed to save him, Robin hadn't died. Relief flooded through the halfa’s system at this thought and he began contemplating leaving, when he heard three pairs of footsteps drop into the sewers, and they definitely didn't belong to any of the other Teen Titans. Danny managed to turn both him and Robin invisible right when Jinx rounded the corner.

"I don't see Robin anywhere, nor do I sense his presence." She stated.

_'Huh'_ Danny thought. _'When I make myself invisible, I mask my presence as well, neat.'_

Danny watched as the three teens continued to patrol the area.

"C'mon, let's get out of this crum-sniffen place, it makes my nose want to fall off my face." Gizmo said his beady eyes watering at the offending smells, causing Mammoth to laugh.

"Yeah, let's go pay a visit to their precious Tower and take it," Mammoth added.

Both teens began to walk away, Jinx turning to follow when something shimmered in the light.

"Wait!" She screamed.

Danny froze, had she sensed him and Robin? Tensing for battle, Danny watched as Jinx began to make her way to where both he and Robin were hiding but stopped just short. Bending down, retrieving something trapped between the rocks, shaking it off, Danny saw what it was: Robin's belt.

"Okay, we can go, now that I have his fashion statement." Jinx said as she attached it around her waist.

"That's why you wanted us to come down here? To get that pip sniffer's belt!" Gizmo screamed as Jinx nodded, completely oblivious to Gizmo's attitude. Danny watched as the three teens jumped out of the sewers and left. He waited a few extra minutes to make sure they weren't coming back before dropping his and Robin's invisibility.

"Phew" Danny breathed. Leaning back onto the tunnels wall, he hadn't been sure his powers would have masked their presence with that sorceress around. Smiling, Danny turned to fly off but not before Robin had started to come to, and what Robin witnessed startled him. There, kneeling in front of him was a person who seemed to be glowing white, with shimmering white hair that contrasted deeply with his black and white jumpsuit, but what startled Robin the most was the emblem on the teen's suit. For their blazing white, was a ghostly letter D with a smaller P inside. But Robin didn't have time to ponder this for the teen stood up suddenly and the next words he said quickly grabbed Robin's attention.

"Now to go 'cause some chaos at Titan's Tower to give those three Hive agents some ghostly payback," and with that the black and white being turned clear and flew through the roof. Slowly, Robin sat up, mindful of his bruises. Had that guy just saved him? Who was he? What did he mean the Hive was at the Tower? Unless, their plan was to overrun it and keep it for themselves, fury filled Robin at this thought. Titan's Tower was their home. He needed to get to his team, fast.

* * *

 

They'd been kicked out of their home, Robin was gone, and it was over. This couldn't have happened, but it had. And now Beastboy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg stood on the beach looking at the island that housed their home, or what used to be their home.

_'Knew today wasn't going to be a good day,'_ Cyborg thought bitterly, as the events kept replaying over in his mind.

"I wish Robin were here." Starfire whispered, her arms clutching desperately around her chest trying to hold back the ice that was setting into her heart, it reminded her of Danny's eyes.

"Well he's not. Don't you guys get it? They won, we lost, it's _over!"_ Cyborg screamed, pain echoing in his voice as he and the others watched from the distance, their home steadily turning into a new letter.

"Then, the Teen Titans are finished?" Beastboy asked his question coming out a fearful statement.

"Not yet. Not if I can help it." A voice said. All four Titans jumped, whipping around to see Robin standing behind them, a smirk plastered on his face, the one that showed he had a plan and knew it would work.

* * *

 

It was getting late. Danny had quickly returned to his store, apologizing to the group of teens who had gathered outside it, thankfully they were willing to let him keep it closed for the rest of the day. One of the benefits of having a community based bookstore, people were a lot more understanding. After which, Danny went ghost in the alley way and headed back to Titan's Tower, currently looking like a giant H. Silently he waited, floating in the living room as the Hive agents rummaged through the Titans things. Danny had to clamp his mouth shut at the sight of Mammoth eating the blue furry food, and Danny had seen plenty of gross things: flying meat, man eating hotdogs, but that was just disgusting. He waited 'til all of the agents were in the room and proceeded to have some sweet payback, after all, it was these nitwits who thought it fun to play 'villains' and force him into action.

First thing on his list of payback, Gizmo, who currently was flinging the Titans CD's all over the floor, _'well at least it gives me a chance to test my new power'_ Danny thought. And with this he raised his hand, careful to make sure he stayed invisible and proceeded to shoot the CD's right into Gizmo's dorky little face. "Hey!" Gizmo screamed as he tried to dodge the flying disks. As Danny continued to do this, he looked over at Mammoth and Jinx, who were staring wide eyed at Gizmo's predicament. So he decided to give them some grief as well by opening and closing the cabinet doors, flinging the questionable blue goo all over them, not so tasty when you're being covered in it. Both teens screamed like girls and jumped out of the way. So intent were the Hive three to survive the chaos of flying CD's and mold, that they didn't see Cyborg's arm dismantle itself from the wall and proceed to make its way over to the computer. But Danny did, and he made sure to distract them enough so that they wouldn't notice it typing away on the computer, until it set off the blaring red alarm causing Gizmo to back up next to the chair where it was seated.

"What the hairballs?" Was all he could get out, for at that moment the chair with Cyborg's arm turned and proceeded to wrap itself around Gizmo, who screamed like a baby. And with this, Danny was done. He watched Jinx get pulled through the ceiling by a giant claw, and Mammoth get blasted into the elevator by a star-bolt. The Titans could handle themselves, even if they were just playing the 'heroes', Danny knew they'd learn someday exactly what that title meant, for they'd almost learned what it meant today. And as Danny flew back into his store, down into the basement that held a newly built lab and also his room, the halfa hoped that maybe those five would never have to learn. But he knew it was foolish, after all, that little half pint had mentioned a man named Slade and Danny could tell that man would most likely be their greatest enemy. With this, Danny changed out of his clothes and into his long, red, checkered cotton pants, climbed into bed and stared across the room in the dark, to the mirror where he knew his family was. And at that, Danny fell into sleep, fresh pain ripping through his heart, the dream coming again. But this time he seemed to forget to be as afraid, even though he knew how it would inevitably end.

 

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 


	3. The Dreams of Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How can family be so different?

**_Maybe if I only sleep..._ **

 

_"If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?"- Chuck Palahniuk_

 

Titans Phantom

Chapter 3: The Dream of Sisters

It had been a long day. After the fight with the Hive, Robin had decided not to tell the rest of the group about the white haired teen that had saved him until this morning. From it he'd gotten some odd looks, not because they didn't believe him. But because Raven hadn't sensed his presence or Robin's at all.

"It was as if you disappeared, almost like you were dead," She stated.

"Almost?" Robin asked as the rest of the Titans continued to give her questioning looks.

"Yes, almost. When a person dies they leave behind a small aura for a time, then once they move on it slowly clears. How fast or slow all depends on the person. And Robin, I believe you'd have the type of aura that would stubbornly hold onto life." As she finished Robin was steadily turning a bright shade of red.

"Thanks." He mumbled, Raven merely nodded.

"Hey, you said that he was planning on giving those Hive kids some payback, right?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah."

With this the group walked over to one of the computers and watched as Cyborg dug through the tower mainframe. Until he managed to reboot the security feed.

"Let's see, they attacked around seven, we attacked around nine, so it's somewhere around there..." Cyborg said mumbling to himself as he fast forwarded through the feed,

"Wait, go back!" Beastboy yelled

"Dude, nothing's happening." Cy replied.

"Yes, there is."

And with this, Cyborg paused the video right as a CD appeared to be attacking Gizmo's face. "Told you," Beastboy smugly answered.

"What in the mother of…"

"Play the video, Cyborg." Robin said not letting him finish the sentence. Cyborg hit play and the five teens watched as Gizmo was pelted by flying disks and Mammoth and Jinx were trying to avoid the blue fuzzy food from the cabinets. All the while never noticing Cyborg's arm as it made its way over to a computer. Almost as if the flying objects were purposely drawing their attention away. When Cyborg's arm finally set off the alarm, all the other objects clattered onto the floor, never appearing to have just flown around the room. Cyborg ended the recording. Everyone sat in silence.

"So, the guy who helped you can make stuff float?" Beastboy tried to ask.

"Guess so, look at the objects, around each one is a faint green aura," Cyborg said zooming in on one of the CD's

"Then the white haired one has telekinesis, much like friend Raven?" Starfire asked.

"It has to be more than just that." Robin said annoyance present in his voice.

"It is, look, about thirty minutes before the uh, object attack, the temperature in this room dropped about ten degrees, the same time the computer detected a power surge, though from what it can't identify." Cy said.

"So, not only is this guy telekinetic, he's also invisible to your sensors and Raven's mind and on top of that he's powerful." Robin finished letting the information sink in. Finally after a while Cyborg turned back to the screen.

"At least he's on our side." He commented.  At that Robin turned, heading out of the room. He needed to think, if the teen truly was on their side, then why not come and tell them so? Or at least tell them who he is. As he was walking down the corridor to his lab, Raven joined him.

"Yeah, Rae?" He asked.

"There is something else, that kid Danny, back at the restaurant, I couldn't sense his emotions."

Confusion spread across Robin's face. "What does he not have any?"

"No, he does, it's almost as if there was a wall in place. Similar to that of a mental barrier, if I had tried to sense what he was feeling, he undoubtedly would have felt my presence."

At this Robin had to contain his willingness to go and find this Danny and interrogate him. After all, what kind of coincidence would Raven meet not one, but two people who seemed capable of hiding who they were from her power? And was this Slade guy involved? What were the connections? And what would this spell for them and Jump City? Robin had to collect himself once more, before he trusted his voice not to come out sounding angry and frustrated at the new developing problems.

"Thanks, Raven," he said, she nodded, heading off into another part of the Tower, most likely going to meditate to try and figure out what was going on as well. Needless to say, Robin wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, and with this the day started.

 

* * *

 

It had been a peaceful day in Danny's book store, well mostly. The coffee machine had decided to stop working and a few of his regulars pitched small fits until Danny managed to recalibrate the copper coils. Another small annoyance was the fact that his store was starting to attract more nerds (not that he had a problem with the techno geeks of today) his best friend had been one. But they were currently pestering Danny to buy an entire set of comic books called 'Mega Monkey's' apparently adopted from some video game, and they had gone around the store asking other customers if they would sign a contract so that Danny would have to buy them. Not that he really had to, but he'd made a promise when he'd opened the store that if anyone wanted a certain book or series in his store, that if they could get ten legitimate signatures he would buy them. Of course he'd already caught a few forgeries and had all but kicked out the porn nuts who wanted him to get the XXX magazines.

But still, those nine nerds managed to tick off some of his more…darker clients and at that point Danny had asked them to leave while restraining the gothic couple who were proceeding to rip the guys' new ones. All in all, a peaceful day. But Danny couldn't help the pressure in the back of his head which was worrying over the Titans. And who was this Slade guy? What did he want with them? As Danny sat behind the dark oak counter, he couldn't help but be reminded of Vlad when he acted more or less like a fruitloop. Danny shivered at that, picturing the tall gray haired man with insanity for eyes. Although now Danny was sure he could kick Vlad's half-ghost butt all the way to space, he still couldn't help but the shiver of fear at remembering what Vlad had put him and his family through. Danny quickly drew in his breath as sharp pain flared through his heart, some of his old scars aching like open wounds.

His right arm gave a painful throb at the remembrance of Jazz; she'd really taken it out on him that day. Even if it was only a ploy for them to be able to get away from Vlad, it still hurt. _'So much for peaceful'_ , Danny thought gripping his arm, staring up at the clock. The fireworks would start at six tonight so he should close up shop at five which was a little more than an hour away. Careful not to jostle his arm, Danny stood to make the announcement. Only an hour till the fireworks, then he could leave.

 

Back at Titan's Tower, the results on identifying Robin's mysterious savior wasn’t going so well. Neither was trying to identify the kid named Danny, who Raven couldn't seem to feel his emotions. All in all, a very frustrating day. But now, sitting up on the Ferris wheel with Starfire, celebrating the Fourth of July by watching the colored fire dance across the night sky, Robin couldn't help but smile. His worries and dread melting away like the cotton candy on his tongue, while Starfire gave a squeak at its sudden disappearance in her mouth.

"It vanished!" She exclaimed, Robin couldn’t help chuckling at the look on her innocent face.

"Yeah, it'll do that." He said, sending up a quiet thank you in his head to whatever higher power decided to create Star, and allowed them to meet. Everything was perfect as the finale came around, until a giant mechanical squid descended from the skies, grabbed hold of Starfire and ripped her away.

  
 _"Starfire!"_ Robin screamed.

 

* * *

 

" _Danny, come on we're going to miss them!" Jazz yelled excitement in her voice._

" _Okay, I'm coming, keep your pants on." Danny replied irritated._

_At this Jazz gave a 'humph' of annoyance. Which was strange coming from the Harvard bound sixteen year old girl. It was the Fourth of July, and the fireworks were about to start in the small town of Amity Park, North Dakota. They had been going to see the fireworks together since Danny was four. It had always been a sister- brother thing, no one else, not even Tucker or Sam went with them. But this year was different. Jazz had admitted to knowing Danny's secret for about a year and in a way, the halfa was grateful for her knowing, because now he didn't have to lie to his big sister anymore._

_"Come on, we're never going to get to the hill if you keep taking so long." Jazz said her foot now tapping on the wooden floor._

" _Jazz, I fly over a hundred and twenty miles per hour; I think we'll make it." And with this Danny transformed into Danny Phantom, hero of Amity Park (debatable by some), but by most, this was only how they knew him; but not to Jazz, all she saw was her little brother through and through. Quickly, Danny picked her up and flew out of their house. Jazz giving a scream as she looked down to see the town flashing past her eyes, the warm wind whipping at her red-orange hair._

" _Danny, why do we have to fly there?" She asked nervous._

_Danny gave her a mischievous smile, "You wanted to get there on time, remember? It's also a little bit of payback for spying on me and figuring out I'm a halfa." He said._

" _It wasn't that hard, I mean, I just watched you transform in the back alley of the Nasty Burger. Plus it's a dead giveaway when you yell, 'I'm goin' ghost'!" Jazz replied in complete honestly._

" _Do you want me to drop you? Because I will leave you here to fall to your doom," Danny snapped, lightly glaring at her. But not quite pulling it off with the look of embarrassment on his face._

" _No please," She squeaked._

_With this, Danny landed atop a hill on the outskirts of Amity. Standing next to his sister, who pulled out a blanket from her bag, laid it down on the grassy ground, and silently the two sat as they watched the first fireworks burst through the night sky._

That day had been a year ago, he and Jazz had stayed on that hill till almost two in the morning, watching the stars after the fireworks had ended, just like these were about to do. Danny found it hard to believe that only one month later his sister was gone. Now here Danny sat, on a hill in the park of Jump City, by himself, watching as fireworks blossomed in the night sky. Leaning back onto the tree he'd found refuge under, Danny could almost go back, become who he used to be, back with his sister, with… Danny quickly jumped out of his memories as a brilliant streak of purple, strangely in the form of a girl, came spiraling towards him. Again, Danny found himself dodging yet another super powered teen. _'Jeez, what is with people and trying to flatten me?'_ He thought annoyed as said girl plowed into the tree, half of her body on one side, her feet sticking out from the other.

"Man, what hit me?" the girl groaned, her jet black hair glimmering purple in the moonlight.

"A tree, and you hit it," Danny clarified. Man, why did these kinds of people always ask these questions?

At this, Blackfire looked up from her current position to see a boy with raven hair and ice blue eyes looking down on her.

"Right, sorry about that. Think you could help me out?" She asked putting on her very best damsel in distress face, _'this kid's cute'_ she thought.

"No."

"Why not? I'm stuck in a tree." Her eyes turned electric-purple out of anger, and yet the strange raven haired boy never flinched.

"You got yourself in that tree, you can get yourself out." Danny finished, irritation now filling his voice, for some reason he didn't like this girl. In fact, she looked exactly like Starfire except she was somehow _wrong_ , her vibe was wrong. And Danny didn't like her for it.

"Fine, if you won't help me then this tree is going down."

With that Blackfire used her violet starbolts to rip apart the tree. Only causing it to fall on top of her, covering the Tamaranian in dirt and leaves.

"Ugh, son of a bitch!" She yelled. Yep, Danny was right, she was crazy, and a little on the violent side. Turning, he proceeded to leave when Blackfire flew in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Mentally reminding himself not to punch her in the face, Danny glared up at her, while she was looking at him with a face of 'I'm-so-superior-to-you' gaze.

"What?”

"Whoa, cool it nature lover. I just want to know where Titan's Tower is, that's all." She asked holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"It's a giant glowing 'T' in the middle of the bay, kind of hard to miss." He deadpaned and with this she flew off only to turn back midair and yell, "Oh, and remind me to take you to a rave sometime, you seriously need to loosen up!" With that she disappeared into the night, the fireworks ending long ago. Yep, defiantly crazy, he thought.

 

* * *

 

Starfire was being chased by a squid. Her starbolts having no effect on it, and the thing only seemed to be after her. Panic was beginning to set in her heart as it continued to chase her across the ocean, back to where her friends stood on the docks preparing to help. She flew past them along with the squid and she quickly did a U-turn around the Ferris wheel, to end up back with her friends, her bright green eyes hiding her pupils as she watched Beastboy and Raven try and fail to even slow it down, Cyborg quickly grabbing onto its pink mechanical legs as it was trying to reach Starfire.

"Don't know what you did to make this thing mad Star, but it couldn't hurt to apologize!!" He grunted, struggling to maintain his hold on it while the squid slowly dragged him forward to Starfire who was standing behind Robin. Her now normal green eyes looking at the thing with fear and confusion.

"Um, I am sorry?" Her voice rising in octaves as the thing managed to break free and charge at her again. Robin, acting quickly hit the machine on the head with his bo staff, knocking it into the ocean.

Beastboy ran over to the railing, looking down over the murky water, fireworks crashing in the background, "so did we just win?" he asked. His question was answered when the robotic squid burst through the wood, narrowly missing Starfire. It started a midflight turn, bent on reaching her, but was stopped short as Robin leapt up on it and ripped out its central processing cords. Robin landed back on the docks with the others as they watched the pink squid fly higher in the sky until it joined the fireworks, creating a small explosion of sound and fire, a perfect ending to the finale.

"Whatever that thing was, it can't hurt you now," Robin said looking into Star's concerned gaze.

"But why did it wish to hurt me at all?" She asked none of them knew the answer to that.

Arriving at Titan's Tower, Blackfire sat, leaning back on the couch; she’d managed to locate a bathroom once she'd gotten past the security system and cleaned herself off. After all, she wanted to look her finest when her little sister came home. And she couldn't help the smirk that curled on her face when Starfire came walking through the front doors, thanking her friends for saving her life while planning on reciting the poem of gratitude… all six thousand versus. Yep, still the same Starfire.

"I see you haven't changed a bit." Blackfire observed her voice one of self-confidence, bordering on conceit.

"When we were little, _I_ was always the one rescuing Starfire." She added.

Starfire gave a squeal of delight, running into her sister's embrace as Blackfire laughed at her antics.

"Sister!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Brought you a present," Blackfire said holding up a fiery green gem. The stone the size of a baby's fist, cut in the shape of a beautiful hexagon. Starfire's eyes widened like a kid on Christmas morning.

"A Centaury moon diamond! Where did you get it?" Her green orbs still locked on the glittering jewel.

"On the Centaury moons of course," with this she placed it around Star's neck commenting on how it matched her forest green eyes.

"You must meet my friends!" Starfire exclaimed.

Pulling Blackfire over to the rest of the Titans who were silently thanking the gods that Star no longer seemed interested in reciting her poem.

"I wish to introduce my big sister…"

"Blackfire," the elder sister cut in, walking forward, her catlike eyes glistening as she guessed who each one of Starfire friends were. She started with Cyborg, her hand shake giving the half mechanical man's arm a run for his money, she then moved onto Raven, who was highly impressed at Blackfire's knowledge of meditation, she then went to Beastboy, who cracked a lame joke about the ceiling but Blackfire laughed none the less. Lastly, she stopped at Robin who reminded her of the boy in the park only shorter, but Blackfire took to him, immediately noting his cape and mask causing Starfire to intervene before her sister tried something.

"So sister, what brings you to Earth?" She asked making sure to get Robin at least five feet away from Blackfire.

"I was in the quadrant. Thought I'd see if Earthlings liked to party." With this she plopped back down on the half circular couch.

"Besides, I needed a rest, nearly got sucked into a black hole on the way here," making it sound like she let that last part slip. With this, all of the Titans were surrounding her, curiosity in their voices as she began recounting the story. All of the Titans except Starfire, who left to get her sister a soda. As she grabbed it, Starfire couldn't help the sense of dread that was washing over her, it was happening again.

"I see you haven't changed either," She whispered and with this Starfire headed back to the living room where Blackfire and her friends were.

 

* * *

 

_It was late as two teens left the movie theater, one a skinny boy with dark brown skin and hazel blue eyes, sporting a pale yellow shirt with green cargo pants and a red beret, the other was a girl with crystal white skin and jet black hair darker than her mid-cut shirt and black and green mini stripped skirt, but what most people failed to notice were her eyes, her amethyst eyes. As the two walked out of the theater they stopped on the side walk, both to stretch and yawn._

" _I can't believe we sat through all three cyber zombie commando movies." The girl said._

" _I could have used less zombie, and a little more cyber. But that's me, I'm all about the cyber," the boy replied placing his hands behind his head. Suddenly, the girl stopped and looked around; making sure the street was empty before,_

" _Coast is clear, Danny." She called, as light footsteps made their way over to where the two teens were standing._

" _Sweet," came a voice out of nowhere until Danny appeared next to them dressed in a plain baggy white shirt with a red oval on it, with light blue jeans and red tipped sneakers._

" _No sign of Jazz?" He asked._

" _No sign of Jazz," Sam said as she smiled at him._

" _Good. Ever since Jazz saw me fight the Box Ghost in human form a week ago she's been kind of…"_

_Danny never finished his sentence for suddenly there was a car screeching to a stop in front of the theater and out hopped his sister, who slammed him into the ticket booth on accident out of worry._

" _Pushy." He finished wheezing slightly._

" _Danny, are you o.k.? You know you should never leave the house without a Fenton Thermos. What if there's a ghost you needed to fight?"She said failing horribly at being sneaky while saying that._

" _There's no ghost around, if there was, I'd know." Danny replied annoyed._

_At that Danny's ghost sense went off, the blue mist escaping his mouth that Jazz failed to 'see' for she immediately turned away, searching for the ghost and seeing him high in the sky screamed,_

" _Oh no, a ghost, time for me to run home! Be careful, Danny." Danny watched as she drove away confusion on his face. 'Did his sister know that he was part ghost?' he thought, after all, Skulker was high up in the sky._

" _Uh, Danny, you might want to get going," Tucker said as he pointed to the sky where Skulker was._

" _Especially since he isn't even trying to attack or hunt you," Sam added._

" _What? He's ignoring me? Well that's a first, see you guys later," with that Danny transformed into Phantom as his friends watched him soar after Skulker, Danny mentally pushing all thoughts of Jazz and her strange behavior out of his mind._

Danny was sitting on the roof of his store, memories of his sister filling his head. It had been a long time since he thought about her. Maybe it was seeing the strange girl in the park that he somehow knew was related to Starfire. No, Danny knew why, today was the Fourth of July, their holiday, aside from the nation of course. That's what had brought on these flashes of his old life, and as Danny gazed up to the stars, he wished that tonight instead of having the dream again, maybe he would dream of his sister instead. But he knew better than to ask the impossible.

With that he stood and headed back inside, never noticing the ship hiding in Earth's orbit. Where inside, two aliens in red armor were deciding the fate of the Tamaranian girl, "We will attack tomorrow night; she may be able to handle one probe but let's see how well she'll fare against three." And with this they began to wait.

 

* * *

 

It was the morning after the holiday and Starfire was wandering the hallways, for when she had awoken Blackfire was gone.

"Sister?" Starfire called."Sister, I seek your companionship." Star tried again, getting no response she headed into the living room where Cyborg and Beastboy were playing a racing game. Cyborg gloating, smile spread across his face, Beastboy’s one of angry determination.

"You wanna pass me, but you can't pass me. You can't pass…you passed me?!" Cy’s voice gave away to shock.

"Tighten the turn, jets, and nitro! Ha!" Beastboy said quickly going back into fierce determination mode, a smile on his face, Cyborg an angry scowl.

"Tell me, have either of you seen Blackfire?" Star asked.

"Blazin' B? She was here just a second ago." Beastboy said.

But he was quickly cut off as Cyborg knocked his aircraft out of the lead.

"Ah, Yeah, back in the lead! Ha!" Cyborg said laughing.

Watching the game unfold, Starfire suddenly found herself wishing to play.

"What fun, may I join your game?" She asked.

"Winner plays Blackfire," Cyborg offhandedly replied, not noticing the grimace that adorned Star's face at this simple comment.

"Yeah, she rules at this game," Beastboy added with two little hearts dancing in his eyes.

"I see," she said sadly and with this Starfire left.

She soon found herself outside Raven's room, who answered the door only by a crack, her hood casting long shadows across her face, the rest of her body hidden in darkness.

"Is my sister in there?" Star asked her posture slightly slumped forward at Cy and BB's early words.

"No," Raven said, beginning to shut the door.

"Oh. Might you wish to hang out with me? We could visit your favorite depressing café."

"Already been," Raven said choosing to ignore Starfire's crestfallen face.

"It was open mike and Blackfire wanted to share. Your sister's poetry is surprisingly dark."

At that Raven closed the door. Leaving Starfire to wander the rest of the corridors alone, even Raven had warmed up to her sister. Well, warmed up wasn't the right word to use in Raven's case… but still, Starfire couldn't help the lead weight that was starting to weigh down her joyous heart. And what she saw next only increased its heaviness.

"That's perfect Robin," floated Blackfire's sensuous voice from the indoor training area.

"Hold me just like that and…hi-yay!" She screamed as she threw Robin across the room landing in a pile of weights.

"Learned that move from a Benzo Master on Tirus Three," Blackfire said, smugness radiating from her very being.

"Hello Robin, and my sister, am I interrupting?" Starfire asked while walking through the doors, hands carefully hidden behind her back.

"Not at all. Blackfire was just showing me some alien martial arts. How come you never taught me these cool moves?" Robin asked not realizing that his curiosity was slowly twisting a stone knife in Starfire's heart.

"Probably because she doesn't know them, I always _was_ the better fighter." Blackfire answered smirking.

And with that Blackfire led Robin away speaking on more of her triumphs and power. Starfire merely closed her eyes in defeat.

As the day passed the Titans had all gathered on the couch to relax when Starfire came in holding two big buckets of popcorn and soda, balancing on different movies.

"Friends, I invite you to join me in the togetherness of a stay home movie night. I bring you popcorn and non-cotton candies. Tell me, what sort of movie shall we view?" At that Starfire received four different answers causing the Tamaranian girl to drop what she was holding out of depression.

"Perhaps a double feature?" she suggested.

"Forget the flicks kids, we’re going out!" exclaimed Blackfire as she entered the room wearing Starfire's clothes.

"We are? Where did you? Are those my?" Starfire never finishing her questions as Blackfire walked past her, not even acknowledging Star.

"Heard about a party downtown, cool crowd, hot music," she said. All of the Titans agreeing to it, even Raven, once Blackfire told her that it was in a creepy rundown warehouse. Starfire watched as each one of her friends left to go follow her big sister.

"Hey sweetie, raided your closet, hope you don't mind me borrowing your look." Blackfire said as she passed by.

"Why not? You have already borrowed my friends." At that Starfire trailed behind.

* * *

 

_Danny had followed Skulker to the place called Axion Labs, where he watched as Skulker took a container with a warning seal from one cabinet._

" _Bloodstream nano-bots? Why do you need those?" Danny asked as he stood there floating off the ground. Until Skulker fired a blue glowing net, catching Danny off guard and sending him to the tile floor, Skulker then proceeded to turn intangible and leave._

" _Hey, get back here!" Danny yelled his hands glowing a liquid green tearing the net apart._

" _You didn't even call me whelp!" Danny said chasing after the mechanical green flaming haired ghost._

_As Danny flew past Axion Labs, quickly gaining air to get Skulker he noticed a red convertible jeep parked in the grass followed shortly by…oh no, his sister, Jazz._

" _You've just earned a one way ticket to Thermos land, ghost!" She screamed uncapping the thermos and firing a single blue stream of ecto-energy designed to trap and contain ecto-entities. Unfortunately, instead of catching Skulker, she caught Danny Phantom._

" _Oops, maybe I should work on my witty banter." Jazz said to Danny who was stuck in the thermos. Vaguely she could hear a muffled "Start, with your aim!" coming from inside the thermos._

To this day Danny still laughed at that memory, Jazz had gone to try and help him, or rather him as Phantom, but over the course of the week she only managed to get him stuck in the Fenton Thermos four other times. One of them being Danny himself pushing the button so as to save his sister the trouble. And that had been the start of it; Jazz had started helping him as Phantom, or trying to (Fenton Thermos remember) so that maybe he would be able to tell her the truth as Danny Fenton.

Though it didn't quite work out that way. Danny was walking downtown, his sister's sheepish smile flittering through his mind, when he came across an old rundown warehouse that looked to be having a massive free for all party. _'What the heck, not like it's going to kill me if I open the shop up a little late tomorrow.'_ With that in mind Danny made his way over to the double doors, where two bouncers were sitting apparently to keep the older perverts and creepers out. Danny got in without any trouble. Upon entering, he was immersed in thousands of changing lights and the heavy backbeat of techno music. Maybe the crazy chick had been right. Danny did need to loosen up.

 

* * *

 

"Step aside Earthlings, the queen of the galaxy has arrived!" Blackfire said as her body swayed in time to the music. Starfire on the other hand was struggling not to get overrun by other party goers, naturally fighting against the pull of the crowd. This was not her kind of thing. Robin, Beastboy, and Cyborg were already dancing to the music. Blackfire had surrounded herself with ten different guys. Even Raven had left to go talk about how pointless life was with some emo guy wearing a black shirt and a pack-man ghost plastered on it, black eyeliner smeared under his eyes. But this was a place Starfire did not belong, and the feeling only worsened as two nerdy looking guys approached her with bad pick up lines.

"Hey hot alien girl, you digging the scene?" one asked.

"I did not know we were supposed to bring shovels?" Starfire replied not understanding the question.

Embarrassment flooded through her system as both guys burst out laughing at her confusion, calling her a ditz, stupid and other words that she couldn't even begin to know or understand. But nonetheless made her want to sink into the floor.

"Actually, I think she should have brought a shovel. After all, she'd need one so she could bury your corpses in the ground. Or are you forgetting that this _hot alien girl_ could kill you with one punch," came a voice from beside Starfire. Both the guys seemed to pale and instantly backed off, muttering apologies to both Starfire and the guy they had apparently pissed off. Starfire turned to thank the boy who saved her but stopped when she saw who it was, Danny.

"Not friend, Danny?" Starfire said surprised by him helping her. Especially when the last time she saw him he'd made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her or the Teen Titans. Danny turned his blue eyes on her, his annoyance clear.

"You need to stick up for yourself." He scolded.

"But I did not understand the question?"

"So, just because you don't understand something doesn't make it right for people to laugh at you."

"I am sorry. Normally Robin is the one who explains to me what people mean," Starfire confessed in defeat, looking altogether like a kicked puppy.

Danny sighed. "And where is Robin?" He asked mentally kicking himself at worrying over her.

"With my sister, dancing to the music of techno," she said, Danny's eyes following her gaze to where Robin, Cyborg and Beastboy were completely oblivious to their friend's plight. Danny felt his blood boil at this, they shouldn't have left her alone in a place that clearly Starfire had never been exposed to. The next feeling that over took him was hatred towards Star's sister, who by the looks of it, clearly was at ease among the crowd. Even appearing to have high jacked some of Star's clothes.

"Danny?" Starfire asked concerned as she saw his ice blue eyes harden into crystals that seemed to glow in the light, rivaling that of the gem her sister Blackfire had given her, still hanging around her neck.

"Come on." He suddenly said, pulling her to the stairs behind the fire wall that led to the roof, she never registered the fact that his skin was cool to the touch, almost like plunging one's hand in chilled water.

Once outside Starfire began feeling better, out here the warm air wasn't stifling, and no one was stepping on, or pushing her around. Out here she could breathe, out here she was simply alone. Instantly, Starfire's mood fell, she was out here alone and her friends were below with her perfect sister.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked his voice strangely kind.

Starfire jumped, she'd forgotten he was here.

"Nothing is wrong, not friend Danny, everything is wonderful." She replied cheerfully.  But her defenses crumbled as he looked at her, concern evident in those frozen eyes, he looked so…unmovable. Safe. Starfire crumbled, falling onto the edge of the building, the gravel roof swimming in her vision as Danny moved to sit beside her.

"Everything is not wonderful. I am happy to see her, but… Blackfire rules the video games, and she is able to share very depressing poems, and she knows the cool moves, and she always knows when people are not talking about shovels, and...and I am nothing like her," Star finished, sighing as she let her head drop into her hands, fighting back the tears threatening to slip free.

"No, you're not, you are only you. And tell me, is that such an awful thing?" Danny calmly spoke. His eyes betraying nothing to his feelings.

"Yes. No, Blackfire is my big sister and she is perfect, I am not."

"Then Blackfire should be ashamed of herself," Danny snapped his voice not hiding the anger inside him.

"What, no! Blackfire should not be shamed, she is my sister and I love her!" Starfire exclaimed.

"So what if you love her, no sibling should make you feel worse about who you are, that's not love, and it certainly isn't fair to you Starfire."

"But she's my…"

"Sister. I get it trust me, but Starfire, your sister should be the one to protect you and love you, not make you sit up here to the point of tears." He said comfortingly.

"Then what should I do?" Starfire asked. Why was talking with him so easy?

"Sorry, but you're going to have to figure that out for yourself." Danny replied, heading back to the door. Sighing, Starfire decided to follow him back, but as she made her way forward she stopped short when a pink mechanical squid emerged from behind the big sign, heading straight for her.

Danny turned just in time to see the thing as it began attacking her. Immediately his first instinct was to transform but this wasn't like last time, he had nowhere to hide (although now that he thought about it that hadn’t stopped him) but Starfire wasn’t like Robin. She knew he was here. It pained Danny to think it, but he needed to get her stupid friends, and possibly her lousy sister.

 

* * *

 

Beastboy had been dancing away when he noticed two shadows fighting on the roof, one big, the other in the shape of a girl. He watched as the smaller of the two began to lose air. Realization dawning, he blindly reached for his friend. "Cyborg, Star's in trouble!"

Just as Cyborg turned to BB, four tentacles shot out and wrapped themselves around the green changeling and with that they entered the fight. Raven quickly joining once she saw Beastboy get dragged past her, her Goth friend turning tail and running the other direction. Raven went to work on freeing Beastboy right as Starfire came crashing through the glass, another squid after her. Instantly, all three probes stopped fighting the other Titans and went straight to the greatest signature to the one they were hunting. Star tried to get away, pausing as she watched Cyborg slow them down and Beastboy slicing at them with his claws in tiger form, until both he and Cyborg were blasted back.

Robin had been getting worried. He hadn't seen Starfire all night, he was half way up the stairs when Blackfire stopped him, wearing a bubble gum pink wig she'd gotten from some random person.

"Where are you going? Stay and talk to me." Blackfire said latching onto Robin's arm, preventing him from moving.

"Look, I just want to make sure Starfire's o.k.," he said, at the same moment Danny came bounding down the stairs, nearly barreling into the two teens if his reflexes hadn't stopped him.

"Hey, has anything pink and squid-like attacked Starfire recently? Because if so, then it has friends," Danny stated.

Robin didn't pause to ask questions, nor did he stop as Danny raced down the stairs bent on getting to Starfire before those things did. No, Robin only stopped when he noticed that Blackfire hadn't moved, a strange look on her face.

"Didn't you hear him, your sister needs help?"

This caused confusion to pass over her face but it was gone the next second, covered up by a coy smile.

"Right. Of course," Blackfire said pulling off the pink hair piece and following Robin outside where the squids were lifting up a trash bin with a screaming Starfire in it.

As Robin and Cyborg yelled "Teen Titans, Go!" Blackfire flew into action. Her violet eyes shifting over into an energized form of the color until you couldn't even see the whites of her eyes.  Charging at the three squid probes that were now moving to attack her. Violet electric energy shot out from her eyes, each hitting a probe dead center, causing them to explode upon the impact. In less than five seconds, Blackfire had taken out all three squids.

"Ah yeah, good times!" Cyborg yelled as the rest of the Titans ran to meet up with Blackfire.

"Nice shootin', B." Beastboy praised.

"Very nice," came Raven's reply.

"How did you know where to hit them?" Robin asked.

"Lucky guess," Blackfire shrugged.

"We could use luck like that. Maybe you ought to join the team." Cyborg said.

"Me, a Teen Titan?" Blackfire answered in false surprise and flattery. Starfire wrenched open the trash bin in shock, her friends just asked her sister to join them! They were going to replace her. No one seemed to notice Star's broken expression, except Danny who moved out of the shadows after making sure it was 'safe.' Calmly he walked over to Starfire, who hadn't quite managed to wipe the look of hurt from her face yet, and extended his hand.

"Here, let me help you."

 Numbly, Starfire allowed Danny to help lift her out of the trash bin, brush the banana peel from her hair, and straighten the gem of her necklace before she finally registered her feet were standing on solid ground. Starfire really wanted to embrace Danny then, but settled on giving him a small timid smile.

"Thank you, not friend Danny," She whispered, everyone having grown quiet at his presence. The Titans all registering that yes, that was Danny, the one who _really_ didn't like them, and Blackfire recognizing him from the park yesterday night.

"Hey, you're the one who I met at the other night. Glad to see you cutting loose," she said her superior tone back.

"Glad to see you not stuck inside a tree covered in dirt," Danny shot back, his voice giving off dangerous tones. Blackfire took a step back, this kid felt like power, a blush spreading across her face as well.

"Please do not fight. I am unharmed, not-friend Danny."

At that Danny seemed to lose his hostility as he met her somber green eyes, a sad smile on her face.

"You're far from okay," and with this he gave a slight bow to her and walked back through the giant gaping hole in the wall to where the party was. He only stayed there temporarily before turning invisible and leaving to head home just as the Titans were doing.

 

* * *

 

_Danny had screwed up. Not only had he yelled at his sister. But he had inadvertently yelled at her in front of practically the entire school. Now she was mad at him, and had run off to Wisconsin where the crazy fruitloop (also Danny's archenemy) Vlad lived, to prove him wrong. Although he didn't know that at the time._

_Danny hadn't meant to get so mad, it was that Jazz helping him out as Phantom wasn't helping: first him getting sucked into the Fenton Thermos (to the point where he was pretty sure he was now claustrophobic) second, Jazz accidently pushing him onto the ecto-converter which took a ghost's natural energy and used it to fuel a device such as the car which it was hooked up to._

_At which point Jazz apologized, and said that it was weird that it mysteriously worked when he'd touched it. And lastly, when he and Skulker were fighting and she'd told Skulker exactly where the ecto-converter was, the very thing Danny didn't want him to know since that was the thing Skulker wanted! Afterwards, Danny merely saved Jazz the trouble and pushed the button on the Fenton Thermos sucking him in. Then when she'd told his human-self that she'd hacked into his private ghost files, who could blame him for snapping?_

_Unfortunately, him snapping resulted in her crying, and what was worse was the fact that Danny was pretty positive that she knew about him being Phantom. And when his parents had come into his bedroom that morning telling him she was missing, he knew where she went with the specter-speeder. To hunt Skulker and prove him wrong. Well, turns out Danny had been half right._

_She hadn't gone to hunt Skulker, she'd gone to Vlad. The one who she believed had hired Skulker to take the bloodstream nano-bots, the ecto-converter, and what appeared to be one of Technus's inventions. She'd been right of course. In the end, Vlad had used all of the inventions to make the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton (which he had stolen) human compatible, without it turning the wearer into a dried up prune. The bloodstream nano-bots giving Vlad the power to kill whoever was in the suit as well. In this case, Jazz._

_For when she found out his plan, he decided to test out his new invention on her. Especially after Skulker returned from the Ghost Zone with the final piece and Danny Phantom as a gift. So being the fruitloop that he was, Vlad forced Danny and Jazz to fight. Jazz in the ecto-skeleton, Danny in his ghost form, whoever was left standing, would be his child. Which grossed both of them out._

" _O.k. on my count, run," Danny whispered._

" _I'll run when I feel like it." Jazz snapped back._

_As they ran across the football field that Vlad owned they soon learned that it had a modified ghost shield covering it. Preventing both ghosts and humans from passing. So the two teens were forced to fight. Danny tried to explain that they needed to make the fight convincing. But Jazz kept refusing to listen to anything Danny had to say until out of sheer frustration, he turned her and the ecto-skeleton intangible and stuck her in the ground. Placing his hands on the glass dome that showed her sitting inside it Danny yelled,_

" _Will you just listen to me for once in your life?"_

" _Duh, I am listening to you, Danny. You said make it look convincing, so I am. I trust you."_

_It was that comment. The look in her eyes told him everything. She knew who he was and she still loved him for it. And so they fought, Jazz breaking free of the Earth and grabbed his upper right arm and threw him across the field, only to catch him again, holding him up in the air. Danny begged for his life— while trying to contain the joy in his heart knowing that his sister had forgiven him, both for their fight at school, and that he had been lying to her about who he truly was— but barely managing to pull it off, before she slammed him back into the ground where he pretended to stay down._

_Jazz finally admitting she knew that Danny Phantom was her little brother when she called to him out loud —but also seemed to be struggling with not squealing for joy that her little brother finally knew what she had figured out long ago—together their performance managed to fool Vlad enough to come down and console Jazz on 'killing' her brother, when she promptly turned to him and said,_

" _Guess again, fruitloop." With that she blasted him back with an ecto-beam, throwing Vlad into the bleachers._

" _Oh, so that's how it's going to be, eh? Need I remind you that with a press of a button I can end your resistance once and for…?" Vlad was cut short as Danny appeared below him and snatched the remote that held her life on it away and the switch to the ghost shield as well._

" _Oh, cheese logs." He said. Bending down to try and find Danny who then blasted him all the way to the other side of the field._

" _You, you, you tricked me, both of you!" Vlad spluttered with an air of offended dignity._

" _Barely, 'oh no, what have I done? Can you ever forgive me, oh my poor little brother?' I mean, what was that, Jazz?" Danny said laughing so hard he got a stitch in his side._

" _Like you're one to talk, Danny, 'Oh please Jazz don't!'" She said back._

_Both teens now laughing uncontrollably as Vlad rose in anger, "oh, so you think that's funny do you, well then tell me girl, does this surprise you?" Vlad snapped as he turned into his ghost half laughing manically only to notice a sticky note attached to the empty ecto-skeleton that said 'no, not surprised' then the self-destruct coming online in five, four, three, two, "oh, butter biscuits" one. BOOM!! And just like that, Jazz had truly entered Danny's world. All thanks to Vlad._

_Although as Danny flown both him and Jazz back to the specter speeder, so she could drive or technically fly them home, he'd never told her that when she'd thrown him into the shield the first time, that she'd fractured his arm in the process. But that hardly mattered for Danny had his big sister back. A moment in time he wouldn't have traded for the world._

 

* * *

 

Starfire was on the roof of Titan's Tower, a pink backpack on her shoulders, resignation in her eyes. Her sister was perfect, she could never compare to her and so Starfire took flight, only to be stopped by Robin who had appeared on the roof looking for her.

"You're just going to leave without saying goodbye?" He asked confusion and hurt showing through him. Starfire gazed at him, and then slowly sank back to the roof holding her arms while dropping her backpack that landed with a soft thud behind her.

"Robin, I…"

She never got to finish for a flat platform ship emerged behind them, with two red mechanical aliens with claws. One of them immediately fired at Robin, knocking him back with a green elastic slime that then took hold of Starfire, wrapping itself around her stomach, chest, arms and her mouth preventing her from screaming as the robot began dragging her back. The ship taking flight, her along with it. Panic overtook Starfire. She couldn't get away, her eyes completely electric green as she struggled for freedom.

 Robin was running to her now, jumping off Titan's Tower in an attempt to get a hold of her, he almost had her foot when gravity began to take effect, and soon he was falling. Starfire screamed, though muffled. Robin had jumped, she saw him fall though she couldn't look down to see him as the red robot with a face that looked like a robotic crab pulled her onto the ship and placed her in a clear dome holding cell. She kept struggling, Robin was falling and she had to catch him. That was her job. Why were these things even after her? Star gazed at them with panicked eyes, who were these men?

"Prepare to leave orbit, we have the Tamaranian girl," One said his voice high and grating.

"Once we return to Centaury, you will pay for what you have done," The other said his voice low and accusing.

'But I have never been there.' She thought frantically, her eyes still electric green, confusion on her face. Panic still in her heart for Robin.

 

* * *

 

Robin was falling. His grappling hook wouldn't be able to reach the ship that had Starfire on it. So he was falling. Panic began setting in, as he realized it was a ten story drop to the ocean, one that he probably wouldn't survive. The knowledge took root, he was going to die. That was when he felt someone grab him by the shoulders and immediately he stopped falling. In fact, he seemed to be floating and yet he wasn't the one controlling it. That was when Robin saw a flash of white next to him and turning his head, there was the same teen with snow white hair and glowing green eyes that he hadn't noticed the first time down in the sewers.

"What are you doing here?" He asked but the teen never answered, he simply shifted his hold on Robin a little, who then felt the teen's power surge through him. Power that he could not control. It was a feeling like none other, Robin’s whole being felt like it never belonged to the natural order of things, and he felt light. Free.

It was then that Robin realized that he was flying, not vertically but horizontally; this kid was making him fly. Although Robin was pretty sure that if he let go of the teen's shoulders which he had grabbed out of instinct, he would fall towards his doom again, but this feeling, it was amazing and Robin wondered if this was how Star felt while flying. Starfire! She needed help and looking up at the clouds, Robin saw them closing in on the ship, fast.

 

* * *

 

Danny had been worried, after the party he'd been walking home when the squids came back into his mind. They had only been after Starfire, and they didn't seem to want to kill her, they'd wanted to capture her. Danny stopped, if they were only the _dogs,_ then who was their _master?_ He took off at a run, passing his house, heading for the path on the park, following its winding trail until he emerged at the beach. Where in the darkness he saw a ship take off, Starfire with it and Robin falling towards the ocean. Danny instantly transformed and broke into flight at three hundred miles per hour.

Racing to Robin who he caught around the shoulders with ease, careful not to slam into him when he did. Silently, Danny observed him as Robin first registered surprise, then confusion and lastly, recognition? That last emotion caught Danny off guard, he knew him, how? Danny didn't let the worry show on his face, but he wouldn't answer Robin's question in case the teen remembered his voice, if he'd ever heard it.

Danny instead looked towards the sky and saw the ship, they needed to get there fast before it left orbit; and with this Danny let some of his power flow in and around Robin, giving Danny the power for both him and Robin to fly. Well Danny at least, if Robin let go it would be bye-bye boy wonder. He quickly caught up to the ship where he placed Robin on the bottom of it, who clung to it and listened as he heard the two beings speak of them leaving with Starfire.

"No one's taking her away." Robin hissed and with that leapt into action. Danny stayed beneath the ship pondering; those two robots spoke of Starfire committing crimes back on their home planet. But to anyone who knew Star, she was definitely not the criminal type. So why where they here unless… Danny didn't finish his thought for at that moment one of the robots managed to destroy a side engine causing the ship sink out of the sky until it hit the dirt in the desert outside of Jump City. Robin holding onto Starfire as she flew them a safe distance away from the crash. Danny joining them as did the other Titans who had been tracking the ship since they heard it outside of the Tower. Starfire and Robin didn't hear them calling, for they were too busy looking at Danny, who was too busy looking at the crash site. As the other Titans joined them they too turned their eyes to the striking white haired teen.

"Um, who's the guy with old man hair?" Beastboy asked.

Danny chose to ignore this as did the other teens, for while his hair was white, it certainly didn't look old. But all fell silent as the two robots appeared from the wreckage and began making their way towards the group and the Titans all took battle stances.

"Titans, get ready," Robin ordered.

But Danny didn't. Instead he approached the two aliens, who observed his calm demeanor.

"Why are you here?" Danny asked.

The two robots stopped, one immediately reaching for his chest and pulled off a red platelet turning it around to reveal a black and gold badge.

"We are the Centaury Police and in the name of the Grand Central Council, you are all under arrest for aiding and abiding this thief," the one with the deep voice said.

Every one of the Titans' jaws dropped

"Um, you can't be the good guys, we're the good guys." Beastboy pointed out, motioning to each of the Titans, but hesitating when he got to Danny.

"It's nice to know you're the police. But there's only one problem with who you're hunting, she's innocent," Danny said.

"No, she's not. The Tamaranian girl is a liar and a thief. She has committed high crimes throughout the entire Centaury System," the other Centaury said pointing to Starfire.

"But I have never even been to the Centaury moons?" Starfire stated turning her gaze to Robin. And as Robin looked at her, he knew who both the strange teen and the Centaury Police were speaking about. And reaching for Starfire, he pulled off her green moon diamond.

"No, but I know someone who has," he said, realization dawning on her and the other Titans. Throwing the diamond to the Centauries, Robin answered the question they were about to ask.

"You've been chasing the wrong girl, where's Blackfire?" He asked.

"Uh…"Beastboy said as he pointed to the sky where a figure could be seen flying away.

"Don't worry, Star, she won't get away with this." Robin said, walking over to where she was standing. In that moment Starfire snapped, her sister, the one who was supposed to love and protect her, was _using_ her. Fury filled her heart, her eyes becoming completely electric green.

"No she will not," with this Starfire took off after Blackfire.

"Titans, we need to…" Robin said about to give orders so they could help out Star. But he was cut short as Danny stepped in, his echoy voice rooting them in place.

"No, this is her fight."

And with that, they watched as Starfire and her older sister began fighting, Blackfire blasting her little sister back.

"I always was the better fighter." She said smugly.

Starfire immediately regained her ground, her sister was a criminal and she needed to turn her over to the police.

"Not anymore." Star growled, she had grown up, and she was done with her sister using her. At this she began dodging the violet army of star-bolts that Blackfire was shooting at her. Starfire drew upon only one green star-bolt and fired it, hitting her sister's hand dead on, temporarily shorting out her power. Starfire's hands, glowing with fierce power that reflected in her eyes and as Blackfire prepared to attack again, a green elastic rope wrapped around Blackfire preventing her from moving, the one holding it was the Centaury with the deep voice.

"Blackfire of Tamaran, you are under arrest," he said pulling her down as she struggled to get free.

And just like that the fight was over. Starfire had won, she had broken hold of her sister's power. But looking at Blackfire who was being pulled away she couldn't help but remember that this was still her sister and she still loved her.

"Farewell, sister. Although you did betray and attack me… it was still very nice to see you," she said trying to convey her sense of love by waving, though some of her sadness still shone through. But Blackfire wouldn't hear any of it, she was angry, her electric violet eyes showing her heart.

"Next time it won't be so nice. I will get out of jail little sister, and I will get _even_." Blackfire snarled as she was pulled to the second ship just outside the atmosphere leaving Starfire alone in the sky.

The Titans had watched the air fight on the ground, while every now and then shifting their gazes to Danny, who just pretended not to notice them. When Starfire came back down to Earth, her feet landing lightly on the dirt, he turned to leave.

"Wait, that's twice you've saved me, why? Who are you?" Robin asked all of the Titans' gazes on the ghost teen.

"Because you didn't deserve to die, and it doesn't matter who I am, for I'm just a Phantom" and with this, Danny left in a flash of green light, teleporting him back to the park where he transformed back into Danny Fenton and jogged home. Trying not to remember Robin's gaze.

 

* * *

 

Starfire was sitting on the roof again the wind blowing her hair as she watched the sunrise. She knew what she had done was right, but that didn't make it any easier. As she gazed at the rising light she felt Robin join her.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked.

"I am, sad for my sister," she answered, her forest green eyes closing, her face resting on drawn up knees.

"And for yourself? Last night on the roof, you were going to leave, why?" Robin asked.

"I am just glad the truth was discovered before I was replaced?" She said simply.

"What are you talking about? Is that why you were going to leave?" he asked astounded.

"Well, you, everyone was having such fun with her and then Cyborg said…"Star’s panic and nervousness coming through as she spoke, twitching her fingers anxiously.

"Look, your sister was interesting but she could never take your place. No one could ever take your place, Starfire," Robin said a smile gracing his face, and so the sun continued to rise. Robin’s words evaporating all the doubts in Starfire’s heart.

" _Just remember, Danny, I will always be here if you need to talk, but I'll still be over protective and pushy." Jazz stated  as she flew the specter speeder home. Danny sitting beside her on the soft leather material._

" _I wouldn't have it any other way, sis." And with this Jazz and Danny headed home._

* * *

 

 

An: Read & Review

~Rin

 


	4. The Division Between Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyborg realizes there's more to Danny then meets the eye. The Teen Titans wonder who Phantom is.

**This world of flames...**

 

" _A house divided against itself cannot stand."_

_~Abraham Lincoln_  

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 4: The Division Between Heroes 

It was starting to get late. The green sky outside slowly darkening as the sun dipped behind Clockwork's tower. Taking note of this, Danny stood up from the comfy arm chair he'd been sitting on and stretched, careful not to topple over any of the books surrounding him. This was where he spent most of his Saturday afternoons. In the Ghost Zone, sitting in his favorite chair (which he'd named Cloud because for some reason that's what it reminded him of.) There he sat reading all kinds of books housed inside Clockwork's home. Most of them were even first editions lost through time which had ended up here. Although Danny was pretty sure Clockwork had stolen the Declaration of Independence even though he claimed it would have been burned in the forest fire of 1777. After all, what the government didn't know, wouldn't miss.

Danny personally thought Clockwork took it because he liked the pretty writing. This was also where Danny did most of his shopping for his bookstore. Any book he thought would be important he'd take over to Ghostwriter, who'd then make a copy of it–if one didn't exist– and Danny would be on his way. Although, there had been a couple of times where the two ghosts had to make up book covers, such as with Aristotle's scrolls. Ghostwriter having made it look like a Renaissance monk had taken the works and placed it in book form, then Danny went to Clockwork and asked if it was okay and that what they’d done wouldn't destroy the timeline. He'd given Clockwork a good laugh at that. Bending down, Danny began picking up the books he'd skimmed through, placing them back onto their shelves, occasionally flying to put them in the proper places. As Danny was doing this, he never noticed the pale blue Ghost of Time float into the library watching the young white haired teen place _The Prince_ written by Machiavelli back on its shelf.

"Find any good books?" Clockwork asked.

His question startled Danny who spun around mid air, his green eyes meeting the Ghost of Times gentle red ones.

"Don't scare me like that! And yes, I have. Can I take _The Poisonwood Bible_ and _Brave New World?_ I don't have those and they seem pretty interesting." Danny said as he picked up the two books from his chair, one a plain tan with simple depictions of tribal dancing people on the cover, while the other, a white covering with the title printed in bold italic lettering as he floated over to Clockwork who looked at them with interest.

"Of course. They are not the originals I see, you are getting better at finding the copies," he noted, clearly impressed, his form shifting to that of an old ghost with a long white beard.

Danny took no notice of this, for after you'd seen him change a few times you got used to it. But Clockwork's age always hinted at what he was feeling, in this case, amusement.

"Humph, after coming here for almost a year, you start to pick up on things, like how you hide the copies on the bottom shelf and give them different colored covers." Danny said, still a little peeved at Clockwork for scaring him earlier.

"You are getting better," Clockwork replied, smiling at the white haired teen.

"Thanks. Well I need to get going. Have to take inventory and pay the bills," Danny said and with this began flying towards the two ornate double doors with jet black handles.

"Danny wait, here, you should add this book to your store as well."

Danny paused as Clockwork, now middle aged handed him an old black book with yellow and blue lines running down the side, a single Japanese character carved in the center.

"This is an original. Clockwork are you sure you want me to have this?" Danny asked his eyes filled with confusion.

"Of course. Why else would I give it to you? The book might come in handy."

And with this Danny's eyes seemed to shadow over. Danny gave the Ghost of Time a brief smile and waved goodbye as he flew off with the books in hand. Almost making Clockwork forget that this was the same boy who was still burning up inside. Still closed off from the world.

"See you next Saturday," Danny called as he left.

 Clockwork hovered in his tower alone. The gears on the clocks of time turning away, silent and unchanging.

"I'm afraid young Danny, that you will be too preoccupied to come," Clockwork foretold as he left to go watch the parade of time.

* * *

 

 

There was a break in at the prison. Which while weird in most cities, it wasn't as unusual in Jump. The police came to check it out, only they didn't stand a chance as the twelve foot hunk of rock named Cinderblock busted down the doors to the inside of the maximum security prison. The inside of the place was tall, and shaped like a metal hexagon, the long prison bars giving off an ominous feeling of blue fire and brimstone. But Cinderblock paid no attention to the darkly lit room. He had a mission but was stopped when he was met by the Teen Titans.

"You know Cinderblock, normally the bad guys break out of jail," Beastboy commented.

"And I can give you five good reasons why you don't want to break in," came Robin's voice.

At this all of the Titans leapt into action. Almost as if they'd practiced the introduction. And if Danny had been there, he would have undoubtedly never spoken to the Titans again. For while they were serious, they were treating it like a game that held no consequences. But Danny wasn't there, and soon growing impatient Cinderblock attacked, and while the Titans attacks were powerful they still hadn't mastered attacking as a team. Hitting Cinderblock with only one or two attacks at a time until Cinderblock had managed to make it to his hallway, turning to follow, Robin paused, extending a hand to Cyborg who'd just used a steal beam to sword fight with.

"Wanna give him the sonic boom?" Robin asked pulling Cyborg up, the mechanical teen’s arm transformed into a sonic cannon.

"I got the sonic, if you got the boom," Cyborg said back, smirking and with this the two teens raced towards Cinderblock, running up the walls of the prison, Cyborg aiming his cannon and Robin pulling out a blue exploding disk. But as both prepared to fire, their feet tangled and they came down with a yell as Cy's cannon fired at Starfire and Beastboy, and Robin's disk slid under Raven's feet and exploded knocking her back. Cinderblock all the while was moving deeper into the prison until he came to a cell wall, and then proceeded to destroy each one as he made his way towards his destination, freeing prisoners as he went. As the Titans recovered from their mishap they soon had to round up the inmates who were making a break for it.

Cinderblock reached his destination, a room that held prisoner 38519 and the door underneath it reading 'ABSOLUTE SILENCE.' Cinderblock knocked down the door, and entered the pitch black room where a lone prisoner slept, floating in suspended animation inside a cryogenic container. The man was lanky, and held no real muscle that could be seen. For he was dressed only in plain black swimwear, his brown hair cropped short, he was snoring lightly as Cinderblock ripped his container out of the ceiling, disconnecting it to the filtration pipes. Now Cinderblock could return to his master and with this he destroyed the earth beneath his feet and disappeared along with the prisoner.

It took a while but after the Titans had rounded up all of the prisoners, they let the police handle the rest. But at Beastboy's simple remark about a jailbreak, an argument broke out between Robin and Cyborg.

"Jailbreak? None of us would have seen a jail break if Cyborg hadn't messed up." Robin snapped accusingly, his voice taking on a childish tone.

"Me? I messed up nothin'. You got in my way!" Cy yelled back, neither of them facing each other anymore.

"You were to far forward and Cinderblock got away because of it!" Robin said turning back to glare up at Cyborg whose face then flushed red out of anger, “You saying this is _my fault_?!"

"Want me to _say it again_?!" Robin yelled seething, both friends glaring lightning bolts at each other.

"Stop. No more mean talking." Starfire pleaded trying to intervene in the situation.

"Yeah, if you two are going to fight, we need to sell tickets." Beastboy suggested. Not realizing that his antics weren't helping the situation which got him a scathing glare from Raven.

"Enough. Cinderblock escaped, no amount of yelling will change that. So stop acting like _idiots_ and let's go home." Raven said as she gazed at the backs of her fighting friends, wondering what the Phantom would say to these two blockheads. Both boys simply looked at each other, snorted, and began to walk away in opposite directions, scowls firmly in place.

"Loser," Robin said.

"Jerk," Cyborg said.

" _What did you say?!"_ Both yelled, now back to where they started. Only the other three Titans were left to cower in the corner.

_"You have a problem, Tinman?"_ Robin yelled, veins showing on his forehead.

"Yeah, it's four feet tall and smells like cheap _hairjel."_ Cyborg said smugly back.

"Well you're an _Oversize Klutz_ , and your feet smell like _Motor oil_." Robin snapped.

"You're _Bossy_ , you're _Rude_ , and you got _No_ taste in music." Cy yelled back and at this Robin glared at Cyborg until he said the one thing he would instantly regret.

_"I don't even know why you're on this team?!"_

_"That makes two of us, I quit!!"_

Time seemed to spin out of control as Star, Raven, BB, and Robin all watched as Cyborg left the prison alone. His metal feet echoing how far he went until they disappeared altogether, leaving the Titans completely alone, and Robin, who hung his head in regret.

* * *

 

It was dark, the cogs and tumblers moving in synchronization to that of a broken clock. All the gears turning pointlessly, their mechanical sound giving off ominous disharmony as they all seemed to work together to produce ear splitting sound. Nothing like that of the clocks in the time master's home. These were loud, and abrasive to the ears and there, sitting on a lone throne, masked in darkness was Slade. The man who took in the sounds of the perfectly broken clocks as if they were music. As he listened he began to hear the steady drum of two heavy lidded feet, and Cinderblock emerged from the shadows, standing in the dimly lit area by Slade's throne. The prisoner still sleeping in his chamber.

"Cinderblock, I see your mission was a success, good." Slade stated observing the sleeping man.

"We will proceed with phase two: wake him."

Cinderblock did as ordered and gripped the top of the prisoner's chamber and twisted until the lid popped and came off. Releasing trapped gas in the process, the prisoner began to stir.

"I'm, I'm awake? I should never be awake. I'm only human when I'm sleeping!" The prisoner screamed, panic coursing through him. Gazing up at the man who wore only a mask that revealed one evil, steel grey eye.

"But for what I have in mind, your human form is useless. I need Plasmas!" Slade said, his eye glistening as he gripped his fist in merciless desire, watching the man begin to expand inside the cylindrical container. His skin going muddy brown, his eyes turning a sickening green, until he became too big for the glass to contain, it began cracking until it shattered, and as the smoke cleared, there stood not a human, but a reeking monster with acid eyes who simply screeched. His form seeming to want to fall apart but at the same time remained together.

"Perfect," Slade said, the gears continuing there sickening turns making the clock chime death.

* * *

 

Beastboy had been calling him nonstop since he'd stormed out of the prison, and frankly it was starting to annoy Cyborg. When he'd quit the team Cyborg wasn't exactly thinking clearly, for after he walked all the way to downtown Jump, Cyborg realized he had nowhere to sleep.

"Great, I decide to quit and become homeless, while Robin gets to sleep in a bed. Stupid pointy haired jerk," Cy grumbled as the wind brushed over the small parts of his human flesh reminding him that he still needed a place to crash. Preferably inside. As he was thinking this, he noticed a person walking down the sidewalk, two grocery bags in hand who paused at a two story building.

_'He must live there.'_ Cyborg thought, at this realization, hope rushed through him. If that person lived there then maybe they would be willing to let him stay a couple of days. After all, a house that big had to have some spare bedrooms. Cyborg began approaching the figure as they were pulling out their keys and Cyborg was just able to register that the person was male.

"Hey man, could I ask a favor?" Cy asked trying not to sound desperate. He was met with jet black hair and crystalline eyes that were able to pierce through darkness _. 'Oh, crap.'_ Cyborg thought as he stared down at Danny through the blackness of the night.

Danny had shortly gotten back from the Ghost Zone when his stomach let out a growl. Stubbornly reminding him that he'd forgotten to go grocery shopping before heading out to Clockwork's. Sighing, Danny set the books on one of his lab tables, grabbed his keys, and headed out. One of the benefits to living in a big city, the grocery stores were never closed and were always in a walking distance from his house. Of course, this would be the one night he decided to do his shopping at night and Cyborg just had to be out and about. Annoyance flared through Danny as Cyborg looked at him as if he was about to spontaneously combust, which if it meant the Titan would leave him alone, Danny might just try.

"What are you doing out? It's two in the morning," Danny snapped, trying not to drop his keys.

"Well, you’re still out and about aren't you? So why can't I be?" Cyborg retaliated, his anger from earlier rearing up. Cy squashed it back down. It was either ask Danny to stay one night at his house, or go find a park bench.

"You can, but if you're here than your supper powered buddies can't be far behind, and I'm really not in the mood," Danny said as he turned the key in the lock.

"They're not coming." Cyborg answered his face grimacing at the memory of Robin and the team's faces after he quit. Danny paused at this, his eyes meeting Cy's showing that he was listening, he quickly tried to explain.

"Look, something happened at the prison break-in tonight and I only need a place to crash 'til morning."

After a moment Danny let out a sigh, his eyes closing in frustration. These Titans were making his life _very_ difficult. "Fine," Danny grumbled in a clipped tone as he pushed open the doors to his house. Mentally counting how many times he'd helped these 'heroes'. Choosing to ignore Cyborg's grateful face, they entered the store. It was pitch black and Cyborg could only register tall solid shadows as he and Danny walked further into the building. Everything was quiet. Even Cyborg's normally loud footsteps were muffled, and he figured that they were walking on very thick carpet. When Cyborg began questioning if he should switch his red eye to night vision, Danny stopped at a plain black door and began to unlock it. To Cy, the door looked like it would lead into a closet.

"Um…why are you taking me to your closet?" He asked, Danny merely huffed before opening the door, flicking on the light switch to reveal a narrow hallway with well travelled brown wooden steps.

"Well alright then," Cyborg said as he and Danny made their way down into the house. As he walked into the basement, Danny stopping by the stairs to drop his keys off on the small rack. Then making his way over to kitchen, Cyborg trailing behind couldn’t help but be surprised. Danny's house was… normal. He'd expected pitch black carpet, with bats hanging from the ceiling. But the carpet was a soft white and the kitchen had a nice northern finish to it, with pale tan tiles and a marble finish to the counter tops. The kitchen was separated from the living room with pale white arches that stretched to the ceiling, there were no doors. In the living room the walls had been painted a deep rich blue, a bookshelf to the right, sitting next to a finely finished black door, a leather chair sitting in the corner next to it a desk and an office chair, above them a flat screen TV hung so that you could watch it either in the kitchen or on the couch that Cyborg nearly ran into.

"Are you done staring at my home?" Danny observed as he leaned on one arch, having finished putting the groceries away. His arms crossed in annoyance. Cyborg spun around immediately and apologized. Danny merely rolled his eyes and exited the living room through another arch. Cyborg following and now stood in a half circular room with white carpets, looking at four doors each with a dark brown finish. Two doors separated by the stairs that had a small wooden base before moving into the carpet, and two doors on its other side.

"Guest bedroom is the first door on the left. Bed's already made, spare toothbrush and toothpaste in the conjoining bathroom."

And with this, Cyborg watched as Danny moved off to the right and into his room, closing the door behind him as he went. Taking one final look at Danny's home, Cyborg couldn't help but be impressed at the architectural genius. For while the building above him was clearly designed as a square, Danny had turned the basement into an almost hexagonal shape. Without making it look blatantly obvious, he'd made it look natural. _'This kid is smarter than he looks.'_ And with this Cyborg went into the guest room and crashed for the night. Never realizing that the door in the living room led to a room that didn't exist on the buildings schematics.

* * *

 

Danny was wide awake by five-thirty. His body covered in a thick sheen of sweat as pain ripped its way through muscles and bones. It had been a long time since the dream had effected him this badly. Shakily, he drew himself up so he could rest against the headboard. Quietly listening to make sure Cyborg hadn't woken up. He hadn't, which meant Danny hadn't screamed out in his sleep. Like the three days he'd spent in the hospital after the explosion. The doctors all believed it to be post traumatic stress, even the local shrink thought that was the cause. But they were wrong. And when the doctors had asked him to stay the night for observation to decide if they should prescribe him medication, Danny hadn't screamed. Sure, he was asleep and trapped within the dream but he made sure not to scream. To not struggle, to remain perfectly silent and still. Danny still didn't scream, but he couldn't remain still. His sleeping without a shirt proved that. For a week after he moved into his apartment he woke up to cotton shreds laying on his floor and bed. He needed to move. Struggling to stand, Danny made his way to the bathroom. His muscles slowly starting to work out the cramps and painful spasms from the dream. It was official. Helping the Titans was hazardous to his health.

Cyborg woke up at seven-thirty to the heavenly smell of bacon and waffles. His stomach gave a mechanical growl even though it was still partially human. Temporarily forgetting where he was, Cy ran to the kitchen, where he was met by Danny's back, who currently was frying bacon. On the table a plate of waffles, syrup, and a cup of coffee already sat. Cyborg froze, was this Danny's? Or was it his? Did Danny even expect him to stay for breakfast? That was when he saw the clock on the stove reading seven thirty-one.

"Dude, you mean to tell me that you get up by seven-thirty on a Sunday?"

Danny turned around at this, placing the plate of bacon down with a frown on his face.

"Yes, now eat so you can leave."

Cyborg did as he was told and began gobbling down the food, watching Danny absentmindedly nibble on a piece of bacon.

"Next you're going to tell me that you spend your Saturday nights cooped up in a dusty old library," Cyborg grumbled under his breath. But Danny heard it nonetheless. Cyborg, noticing Danny's flush, assumed him to be angry, and hurriedly finished eating.

"Thanks for the food man," Cy said laughing nervously. Danny merely sighed, taking his plate and putting it in the sink. It was then Cyborg saw it. The scar running down the back of Danny's arm. The wounded flesh to dark and too long to be self inflicted and it almost looked like a… a claw? Cyborg gasped and tried to hide his shock as Danny turned back around to face him, what had this kid been through?

"You plannin' on leaving anytime soon?" Danny asked not noticing the distress in Cyborg's expression.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks again," Cyborg said heading for the stairs when Danny stopped him.

"Wait, I'll show you out, can't have you stealing anything," Danny said seriously, as he went in the living room and opened the black door grabbing the three books sitting on a sliver table just inside.

"Why would I do that? I'm the freakin’ hero here!" Cyborg snapped annoyed at this. Danny stayed quiet, walking past Cyborg without a backwards glance. This scared Cyborg more than anything, and he tilted his head up in a silent prayer as well as exasperation, when what he saw on the ceiling startled him.

"Oh my gosh! Who painted _This_?"

"I did, now will you please get out." Danny said stopping his voice tired, but never looking back at Cyborg who tore his gaze away from the ceiling and made his way up the stairs following after Danny. As Cyborg entered the first floor, he realized just what had been all of those big solid shadows, book shelves. Once more, Cyborg found himself stunned by the beauty of the place. Sunlight steadily streaming in from the east, silently he made his way to the front, only to look back at Danny who was putting two books on one of the shelves, his face unreadable.

"Thanks man," He called sincerely, leaving before Danny could respond.

Never noticing the frozen surprise in those crystalline eyes.

* * *

 

Beastboy tried calling Cyborg one more time.

"Hello, Cy? Pick _up_! Come on Cy, pick up!! I know you're there, your phone is built in your arm!!"

 Beastboy exclaimed, snapping the phone shut, glaring at nothing in general until Starfire appeared next to him holding a spoon filled with a grayish sticky pudding. She placed it in BB's mouth saying 'taste' and well, let's just say that even Starfire didn't like it. For on her home planet it was called the Pudding of Sadness and if she didn't like it, Beastboy definitely didn't.

"What is that?! Cream of toenails?" Beastboy choked, looking up at her from the floor. The pudding on the carpet as he held his throat, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"It is what the people of my planet eat when bad things happen." With this, she took a bite, her hair stood on end, and she shook her head, grimacing at the horrid flavor.

 Starfire flew over to Raven next, who was adjusting the mainframe computer, the person who normally did wasn't there.

"Try, the displeasing taste will ease your troubled mind." Star explained extending the bowl to the sorceress.

Raven merely looked at Starfire with a blank expression on her face and violet eyes, her voice giving away nothing as she spoke.

"My mind is never troubled. People come, people go, it's pointless to be upset about Cyborg," at the mention of his name Raven's hair whipped around her face as she spoke causing all of the screens on the mainframe to crack, leaving Starfire speechless.

"What?" Raven asked confused.

Lastly, Starfire flew to Robin who was gazing out one of the glass panes overlooking the city, his normally expressive features stoic.

"Here Robin, you are in need of this most of all since…well," her eyes cast down at the remembrance of what Robin had done.

"I'm fine." Robin spoke, walking away from Starfire.

"Who knows, maybe we're better off without him," Robin added doubtfully, leaving Star floating in shock, her green eyes wide and confused. Is that what Robin truly meant? Suddenly, the Tamaranien found herself wishing for not-friend Danny's advice.

* * *

 

Robin knew he'd screwed up. As he struck the punching bag with all his strength, Robin kept remembering everything that was plaguing him. Who was Slade, who was the white haired teen, why did he believe himself to only be a Phantom? Was he a hero; or something worse? And worst of all, Robin couldn't shake the feeling that he and his team were slowly starting to drown, and the one person he could have shared this knowledge with, he'd made him quit. The punching bag was now on the ground, busted open, no longer hanging from its hook and as Robin stood there panting, he couldn't help but look over at the weight lift, which was last set to Cyborg's maximum strength. Robin had lost his best friend.

* * *

 

Cyborg screwed up. He knew it the moment he'd quit. Something just hadn't felt right as he walked off and it wasn't from leaving Robin and the others behind. No, this was something deeper, something that he couldn't place. And it hurt. Now Cyborg found himself wandering the streets of Jump City aimlessly, no destination in mind. He paid no attention to the crowd, or the places, merely on walking. He didn't even know what time it was, only that it was getting late. It was then he looked up to the sky, to its colors as the sun began to set. Yet, they never even compared to the colors flowing across Danny's ceiling. The image, that hours later, was still vividly etched in his mind.

 It was the sunrise. He had been looking at a sunrise through glass that had gold to separate each window pane into a hexagon, _'he must really like that shape'_ Cyborg thought. Although he couldn't think of a reason why, but the sunrise had been amazing. Almost as if it were moving across the sky with the rise and fall of the ceiling. As it came up from the east surrounded by clouds, casting off rays of light that glimmered midnight blue, and rust set purple, and as the clouds continued to spiral out they were heading into the heart of the geometrical glass, its golden lines shinning bright until the sky looked as if the gates of Heaven itself were opening up to him and him alone. Casting out rays of white and yellow light, then slowly, the doors began to close, the sun beginning to set in the west, its rays turning to red and gold until only midnight blue remained, the clouds now thin waves as they reached towards the living room, the glass a shadowed gold. That had thrown Cyborg through the ringer. Here was a boy who dressed in pretty much all black, hated the Teen Titans, and yet could paint such a masterpiece, how? What were Cyborg, Robin, Raven, Starfire and Beastboy missing about this kid? The sun had set long ago and a park bench was looking oh so tempting, when he heard the sound of a car being thrown into a building.

 Cy tore off through the night.

* * *

 

The day had gone by slowly at Titan's Tower, everything reminding Robin about Cyborg. Doing the dishes, for it was his turn, to playing video games where Robin beat his best friends high score, only to have his name slammed down on top of Cyborg's, crushing it along with Robins heart. Until finally he went to his friends empty room, which was cast in pale blue light as he walked around, Robin found a picture of Cyborg having one of his monster hands on his head, the other hand waving a peace sign. Himself smiling as he waved his fist in the air, both grinning like only best friends could.

"I'm sorry," Robin heard his voice whisper in the darkness. The alert alarm sounded off throughout the Tower signifying trouble. Robin quickly joined the rest of the group in the main area as they stared at the city map.

 "Cinderblock strikes again?" Robin asked and was answered by Beastboy who turned to Robin, a look of concern on his face.

"You wish." It was in a chemical plant, hundreds of machines producing barrels of different kinds of toxins moving them along conveyer belts, where Plasmas stood picking up barrel after barrel drinking it down like water. Each time steadily getting bigger until Starfire blasted the barrel he currently was downing with one green starbolt.

"That stuff can't be good for you." Robin commented not bothering with their introductions, it now seemed pointless to do. So the Titans simply started attacking. But every time they attacked it never seemed to hurt the overgrown acid monster, for he would simply shift his mass, healing the wound over. Robin tried to attack it directly but only ended up getting stuck in its gooey mess.

"Come on, let me go you giant zit!" Robin yelled frustrated. Looking up into Plasmas's acid eyes, it screeched, throwing Robin off and into Beastboy. Both teens getting the horrible brown colored muck in their mouths, and both promptly spitting it back out.

"And I thought Star's pudding tasted bad!" Beastboy groaned trying not to hurl as Plasmas gave another ear piercing screech.

The video feed was catching the whole fight. Slade watching the Titans struggle to take down such a simple adversary. "Disappointing," Slade stated to his butler standing in the background, silent and unmoving, "with one Titan missing this is almost too easy. I was expecting more of a challenge." With this Slade looked over, his grey eye falling on Cinderblock who was holding what looked to be yellow construction equipment. "Cinderblock, begin phase three," Slade said turning back to watch.

The fight was not going well for the Titans, Starfire and Raven were drenched in muck, and Beastboy was running away from Plasmas, screaming that he wasn't on the menu. They needed a new plan and looking around Robin found one, activating his grapping hook he proceeded to wrap it around Plasmsas’s form.

"Maybe the best way to take you down, is to tie you up!" Robin yelled and with this Beastboy slammed into the screaming monster. As he fell to the ground, Starfire and Raven immediately began bending steel beams to fit around his form and trap him.

"We did it!" Starfire exclaimed from high in the air.

"Good work, team," Robin said back.

"Yeah, didn't think we'd pull it off without…" Beastboy was abruptly cut short as Raven elbowed him hard in the shoulders glaring at him to shut up. Thankfully, Robin didn't hear Beastboy's last comment for he was getting another alert on his communicator.

"We finished just in time. Cinderblock has been spotted downtown, come on." He said getting ready to leave. But as they were heading out, all stopped when they heard a sickening squishing noise, and Plasmas let his form fall apart into five separate creatures. The battle wasn't over, and soon the Titans were forced to spilt up, each running deeper into the chemical plant. Starfire was being chased by the snake, her power managing to blast it away, but she soon found herself up against the head as its stubby legs carried it forward with remarkable speed, she soon was being overwhelmed. Beastboy was being attacked by a roach that used to be one of Plasmas's feet, its long tongue wrapping around him and pulling him down. Raven was attacked by a muddy brown octopus, as it avoided all of her attacks until it ended up in front of her.

Robin ran through the south corridor being chased by another roach like mud. It gave off a pig like snort, quickly gaining behind him until he reached a door, kicking it open he ran inside. But at the sudden change in light Robin didn't see the railing and soon he stumbled over the edge and onto the conveyor belt, boiling acid underneath him. The roach landed with a thud behind him, its face looking like the claw of a lobster. He took out his bo staff and began pelting it with attacks, only to have it snapped in the giant creature's teeth. Robin was running out of options and the conveyor belt was ending, the creature lunged at him. Robin took all of its weight as it tried to snap him in half like his staff, the line was ending and as Robin began to fall he smiled and doing a kick flip, managed to send the thing over first letting Robin grab hold of the edge of the belt. Relief flooded through him, but only for a second before he felt something clamp onto his foot causing him to scream out in pain. The creature wouldn't let go. The belt began to give under their weight and soon both Robin and the monster were falling towards the acid.

* * *

 

Cyborg got there in time to watch Cinderblock tear up another street lamp and chunk it into a gathering pile of metal. Now this is what Cyborg needed, to dish out some good old fashioned butt kicking.

"Yo, blockhead!" Cyborg called, blasting Cinderblock back a foot, who grunted out of annoyance rather than pain. Cyborg tried again but this time wasn't as lucky. Cinderblock punched him in the chest sending him back forty feet hitting the concrete, hard. The Titan quickly began to lose ground. His body tiring as Cinderblock kept coming at him, never stopping, without Robin and the others he had no time to stop and rest and as Cinderblock punched him again, Cyborg managed to hold his ground. Struggling to keep the rest of the fist from connecting to him. He felt his feet digging into the ground, sweat pouring down his face, he was going to lose. Where was Robin? At that moment a flash of green light appeared beside Cinderblock's face who received a round house kick and was sent into the nearby alley way. Cyborg collapsed on the ground gasping for air as he heard light footsteps walk over to him and pick him up off the ground. He was met with two very annoyed, glowing green eyes.

"Where is your team?" Phantom demanded.

"How should I know, I quit." Cyborg yelled, why was Phantom mad at him? Cyborg observed shaking the teen off, watching a look of shock cross the teens face. Before one bordering on pure hatred seemed to pour out of Phantom’s entire being.

"You quit," Phantom deadpanned. Cyborg flinched at his tone of voice. "Why?" Phantom asked not caring that Cinderblock was getting up from where he was lying in the alleyway.

"M-Me and Robin got into this huge fight back at the prison the other night, when we'd failed to catch Cinderblock and so I quit," Cyborg said holding up his hands in surrender, feeling like a deer caught in the head lights.

"So you _q_ _uit!_ " Phantom roared, at that Cinderblock charged again. But Cyborg didn't even have time to fire at him. For Phantom's hands glowed a bright liquid green, he aimed towards Cinderblock and fired, sending him down into the pavement, creating a small crater. Cyborg just stood there in awe, this was the first time he'd ever seen this kid attack, and he was powerful. Cyborg didn't have long though, for once Phantom was done he immediately was back in front of Cyborg, floating so he was eyelevel with him when he yelled,

"What gives you the right to quit? So what if you get in a fight? You screw up once, and call it quits. What kind of _Hero is that?"_ Cyborg felt like he’d been slapped in the face, Phantom's voice echoing all around him, power surging through those vocal cords.

"You Titans aren't heroes," Phantom then added, landing on the ground with a soft thud of finality and began to walk away. Cyborg bristled with anger.

"What gives you the right to say we aren't? We help people. That's what we do! You know nothing about being us or being a hero!!" His booming voice filling the streets, Phantom paused, and when he turned around Cyborg froze from the look on Phantom's face. For his two hollowed out green eyes held the knowledge that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

"No, you aren't. You’re children reacting in childish ways, trying to play a game that you don’t understand.”

In that moment, Cyborg understood. He and Robin were acting like fools, not heroes, they had fought like children, and tonight Cyborg had almost paid the price.

"You’re right, me quitting was childish and stupid. But just because I make a mistake doesn't mean that I won't stop fighting," Cyborg answered meeting Phantom's gaze head on, pure determination set in his jaw. He watched as shock briefly flitted through those solid eyes.

A low growl rumbled through the earth then, and both teens looked over to see Cinderblock rising off the ground, police sirens cutting through the air.

"Man, why can't he just stay down," Cyborg growled in annoyance, he needed to go home back to his friends. Cyborg jumped when he heard Phantom speak right behind him, gently floating off the ground.

"Get the construction equipment he came with. We'll tie him down from the feet up."

Quickly, Cyborg obeyed, rushing over to grab a big steel beam, him on one end, Phantom on the other, and as Cinderblock charged them once more, Cyborg swung the metal beam at him. He felt Phantom surge super heated ectoplasm into the metal beam turning it pure green. Cinderblock connected with it, the beam wrapped around him with ease. They repeated this process three more times until Cinderblock could no longer move the police arriving right as they finished.

"Thanks man, I couldn't have done it without you," Cyborg said a smile on his face even though he was still a little nervous around the floating teen whose eyes were in a faraway place.

"Don't thank me. I'm not the one whose friends lives are on the line," and with this Phantom disappeared.

Cyborg felt dread drop like a pit in his stomach and as a cop walked over his fears were confirmed, "Hey, where are the rest of the Teen Titans?"

"Don't you know? They’re over at the chemical plant fighting some kind of acid monster." The man in the uniform said, Cyborg took off running using their tracking beckons to locate them. Running into the plant Cyborg noted that Star, BB, and Raven's dots were all located together, but Robin's wasn't. He was too far away…running down the south wing Cyborg followed the destruction all the way onto the conveyor belt, where he heard Robin scream out in pain. He raced forward allowing the belt to carry him twice as fast, throwing out his hand right as he saw Robin lose his grip on the belt wheel as it snapped, plunging him towards the acid.

* * *

 

Robin felt the belt snap and he was falling, when he felt a mechanical arm grip his by the wrist and hoist him back onto the line, the creature melting down inside the sick bubbly acid. Cyborg and Robin stood on the belt. Robin catching his breath. He nearly died three times in five days, not a good sign. But Cyborg was back.

"I still got the sonic, if you still got the boom." Cyborg said smugly, Robin looked to him and smirked, they were back in action. They were friends. The other Titans had managed to get the other four creatures back in one place;l. The head began laughing manically, as Robin and Cyborg emerged from the corridor. Cy with his sonic cannon and Robin with his blue exploding disk.

"Teen Titans, go!" They both called charging towards Plasmas. Robin throwing his exploding disk as Cyborg fired at it, aiming directly for Plasmas's head. It hit dead center in a brilliant flash of light and sonic energy knocking out Plasmas, revealing the human prisoner 38519. The Titans all staring down at him, he started snoring lightly as the Police arrived later and placed him back in his stasis chamber, preparing to leave, the Titans watched.

"Look uh, sorry about…" Robin tried. He never was good with apologies.

"Yeah," Cy said back.

"So, are we cool?" Robin asked. With this Cyborg turned to him and smiled at his pointy haired friend.

"Frosty," he said, they did a fist bump, all of the other Titans rejoiced at their making up.  Before Beastboy mentioned Cinderblock and the fact that they still had to stop him. But Cyborg told them they didn't need to worry, as they noticed him being crane lifted into the prison, construction equipment wrapped around him. "Thought I'd bring you a present in case you were still mad," Cyborg said.

"Thanks. There's just one thing that's still bothering me…" Robin didn't notice as the other three teens inhaled suddenly, for fear of another fight. "Breaking into jail, using Plasmas to distract us, the whole plan seems to be a little too smart for Cinderblock.”

"I've been thinking the same thing," Cyborg stated.

Robin smiled at his friend. "Someone must have been pulling the strings," Robin said pulling a Sherlock Holmes look.

"Well whoever they are, they’re no match for the Teen Titans," Cyborg said smiling.

"You’re right, let's go home, team." Robin said and with this the Titans headed home.

* * *

 

He watched the video one more time. Never in his wildest dreams would Slade have imagined himself stumbling on such a powerful being and the best part, he wasn't a hero. Slade could tell this white haired child had so much rage hidden behind those glowing green eyes.

"Interesting," He said as the gears nosily turned in the background.

* * *

 

"You're serious." Robin said. Every one of the Titans were sitting on the couch, back at the Tower, Cyborg recounting his meeting with Danny and also the white haired Phantom.

"I am. Rob, I've never seen that kind of power before. Phantom's…different." Everyone was silent at that, Cyborg had been telling them the story. The name Phantom seemed to stick to the white haired teen. After all, he certainly acted like a ghost.

"So, is he a friend Phantom, or a not-friend Phantom?" Starfire asked. At this Cyborg looked at her, worry on his face.

"I don't know Star. He did tell me you guys were in trouble.”

"But he didn't try to help," came Raven's monotone voice, Cyborg gave a nod at that.

"Then what should we do?" Beastboy asked, the entire group looked towards Robin, who had remained very silent throughout the whole conversation.

"I think we should try and figure out who this Phantom is before we make any decisions. Cyborg, you said you stayed with Danny?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I think we need to go visit him tomorrow. Because for some reason, Raven can't read his emotions. I don't know if it's connected or not, but it's worth a shot," he said, all the Titans nodded, rising to go and get some well deserved rest. They had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

 

Danny was tired. Not just physically, but mentally as well. He was still mightily pissed at Cyborg and his and Robin's childish antics. His dream was steadily getting worse, he accidentally lost control of his powers last night fighting Cinderblock due to his temper, and on top of that, teleporting took a lot out of him. So now he had a major headache as he was sitting behind the counter of his store while customers roamed around, as he tried doing his taxes while fighting off the desire to simply pass out. He had finished the last form when he noticed the black two stripped book sitting beside the register, he'd forgotten all about it. Which probably wasn't a good thing since Clockwork had given it to him, which meant some big bad evil was probably about to happen.

 

Sighing, Danny picked up the book, ignoring the dull throb in between his forehead as he translated the Japanese characters to mean Nature _. 'Great this book is about Nature, something Sam would have...'_ Danny stopped right there. His heart screaming painfully as her very presence filled his mind. Danny slammed his eyes shut and focused on breathing until only her memory remained behind his eyelids. Slowly, he opened the book, breathing a sigh of relief that it was in English. As Danny began to read the opening lines he heard the small bell ring at the door and five people entered. Looking up, Danny felt like he was about to unleash his ghostly wail, for there stood none other than the Teen Titans themselves, and they were heading his way.

 

* * *

 

 

AN: Read & Review

 

 


	5. Natures Forces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny Phantom is getting tired of saving the Titans. Danny Fenton just wishes they would leave him alone.

**It's getting harder to fight...**

 

 _"We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more." - Madame Swetchine_  

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 5: Natures Forces 

Danny wanted to scream. Well, he probably would have if his head didn't feel like it wanted to crack through his skull. As Danny observed the Titans walking through the doors, he could almost laugh at the looks on their faces as they took in his bookstore. He could barely make out Cyborg saying _'man, whoever made this place is a genius.'_ Well, he was half right. Danny had gotten the idea from his parents, who used this geometrical shape in a lot of the fractal codes they built to fit their ghost hunting equipment. Although to Danny, it was also a part of his memory in another way. Soon however, the Titans were swamped by the majority of his customers who had seen them come in, and no one was immune to the 'heroes' of Jump City. They were surrounded by goths, nerds, preps, and every other stereotype imaginable.

"Dude, where did all these people come from?" Beastboy freaked as he was surrounded by nature lovers.

"I do not know. Friends, please go back to the books of reading." Starfire said while trying to pull off all of the guys with hearts for eyes away from her.

Finally, after much persuading from Robin, he managed to break up the crowd. Raven's group left the quickest, choosing to slink back into the darkness. Cyborg's and Beastboy's group followed, heading over to the café to log on to the computers. While Starfire's guys all went upstairs to the comic book collection, and Robin's group merely dispersed among the store until finally they had a clear line to Danny, who currently was rubbing his head as if he had a headache.

"What?" Danny snapped looking up to meet the Titans with a glare.

"Not-friend Danny, we seek your assistance and knowledge," Starfire said not being able to hide her joy at seeing him again. Danny had to restrain himself from not slamming his head on the table. Was she always so cheerful?

"Fine, what can I do for you?" He asked running his left hand through his raven hair. As he did so, all of the Titans were shown the scar, although a normal person might play it off as a trick of light, for it looked to be so old that finally the pigment seemed to be returning. The Titans weren't fooled.

"Have you heard of someone called Phantom?" Robin asked getting straight to the point. He wanted to talk to his team about what they'd just seen and confirm it with Raven.

"As in, spirits and apparitions?" Danny asked, careful to keep his voice neutral and calm. The Titans all looked to each other, they hadn't thought of Phantom as a spirit, just a super powered teen like themselves.

"Yes," came Raven's monotone voice, as she lowered her hood, her violet eyes meeting Danny's blue. A surge of emotions crashed through him, slamming into his walls. Raven could almost hear it. She was standing right on the other side, if she could only reach over. It was gone. The water had calmed the instant Danny's eyes left hers, bringing Raven's mind out of the trance.

Danny tore his gaze away from Raven, she reminded him to much of Sam. Raven's eyes were only one shade darker and while Raven's skin was slightly grayer, where Sam's had been crystal. Both girls easily could have passed for sisters and that's what cut him so deeply, the shadow of Sam danced behind Raven. Danny forced himself to answer the question he'd been asked.

"The books are on the fifth shelf in front of the store, to the right by the couch," with this Danny began to stand. He needed some Advil, when all of the sudden he heard his name being called as a group of eight guys made their way downstairs, all of them reminding him of Sidney Poindexter.

"Danny, as the head of the Comic Geeks of Today, I demand that you buy these books for us," said a nerd dressed in high blue pants with a country boy shirt on, his pocket filled with several pens, his hair was flaming red and his freckles almost covered up the acne, almost. His name was Cole, and he was so focused on Danny, he never noticed the Teen Titans standing right behind him. But the other nerds did, and they were shocked speechless. Danny began rubbing his temples again. He really didn't have time for this.

"Look, I've told you once. If you can't get ten signatures I'm not buying those books. And if you even think of pestering the other customers again, I _will_ let them send you to the hospital."

A blush formed on Coles face. "We have already decided to stay away from the…darker customers." He said and for the first time he looked away from Danny and noticed the Teen Titans. Instantly, his eyes widening to saucers.

"Oh my gosh, the Teen Titans! You guys are my heroes!! Please you have to help us. We only need two more signatures for Danny to buy the books we want!" All of the other nerds jumped into action, surrounding the Titans once more. Some of them practically on their knees begging for their help, the Titans felt horribly confused.

"Um, what books do you guys want?" Beastboy asked, making sure to keep an eye on Danny, who was too busy rummaging through one of the drawers trying to locate the pain medicine to notice their predicament.

"We want him to get all fifty comic books of Mega Monkeys!" Cole said, Beastboy immediately yanked a pen right out of Coles pocket protector and signed the little piece of paper. Cyborg followed, but checked to make sure these nerds weren't simply trying to get their autographs.

"Yes!!" All of the nerds yelled as the Titans watched them walk forward and slam down the book request form, now filled with ten signatures, on to the counter top. Danny, who had managed to find the Advil and take two pills, looked up when he had the contract practically thrown in his face.

"That's ten. When will they be in?" Cole asked smugly, looking down Danny did see in fact that yes, there were indeed ten signatures… the last two, he looked up and glared at Cyborg and Beastboy who were busy looking elsewhere, whistling a tuneless song.

"Fine. Give me a week and they should be in," all of the nerds rejoiced, along with Beastboy who was whooping at the fact that his favorite game was now a comic book. However the nerds quickly decided to celebrate elsewhere when they noticed several scary looking customers emerge from the shadows to glare. Danny gave a nod to them in appreciation before they slid back in between the book shelves as the nerds ran for the doors.

"Enjoy my bookstore," he said stiffly to the Titans, seating himself back behind the counter, picked up his book and began reading once more. Silently, the Titans headed to the spirit aisle looking for any clues as to who Phantom might be. But after a search they gave up. All of these books were about different spirits that inhabited the Earth, most legends and folklore. All of the apparition books only describing evil spirits, created out of violent deaths from humans. None of these books even came close to describing who Phantom was. Not finding anything, the Titans sat down on the couch, Robin and Raven merely choosing to stand, careful to make sure no one was listening Robin started.

"He doesn't just have one scar. There were others on his wrists and hands."

"Did he cause them himself?" Beastboy asked.

"No. Not-friend Danny wouldn't do something like that, he is to…strong," Starfire said not sure how to describe the look on Danny's face when he helped her at the party and with Blackfire.

"I agree with Starfire, his wounds are not self-inflicted," Raven said her monotone voice hiding the inner turmoil in her head.

"You sensed something?" Robin asked anxiously.

"Not really. When we entered the store I felt a wave of tiredness surrounding him, but no will to end. His emotions are there, it’s simply impossible for me to delve deeper past the wall he's created, but they’re so… powerful."

All of the Titans merely sat there and stared at Raven. How could a normal teenager have that kind of power? Robin, getting frustrated at the fact they had learned nothing, decided that the team should head home, before they pissed off Danny even more.

"I'm going to stay," Raven said, in actuality she really did like his bookstore, and it was also a chance to observe Danny some more.

"Okay Raven, see you back at the Tower," Robin waved and with this the Titans left. Starfire giving one last look back to her friend and also her not-friend Danny.

For a few minutes Raven simply stood there, letting the sunshine flitter in through the glass window and warm her back. Turning, she made her way down the rows of books, the store continuing to grow on her. She paused when she came to the poetry at the back of the store. When looking at the titles, she noticed that many of these books possibly could be originals, or very good copies. She walked along the aisle, her fingers trailing across the chestnut wood, gazing at the different poems all in different languages. Some even appearing to be from other planets, _'Where did he get all of these books?'_ Raven thought, stopping and picking up the first book within reach. It appeared to be from the seventeenth century. Its red binding flowering into a single gold letter D and opening the book to the first yellowing page Raven read the title _The Complete Works of John Donne 1572-1631_ edited by Gerald W. Daniels, _'odd name for an editor'_ Raven thought. But none the less she sat herself down in a nearby chair and began to read.

" _For the first twenty years, since yesterday,_

_I scarce believed thou couldst be gone away;_

_For forty more I fed on favours past,_

_And forty on hopes that thou wouldst they might last;_

_Tears drown'd one hundred, and sighs blew out two;_

_A thousand, I did neither think nor do,_

_Or not divide, all being one thought of you;_

_Or in a thousand more, forgot that too._

_Yet call not this long life; but think that I_

_Am, by being dead, immortal; can ghosts die?"_

 

Raven nearly didn't finish the poem, to her it seemed pointless. Why would a man sit there and say he had lived twenty-four thousand years when his love had only been gone one day? He acted so childish, yet the last two lines kept haunting her. Taken in context they sounded humorous and exaggerated but, they were also the only two lines that didn't fit the style from the rest of the stanza. As if the two lines were meant to be read separate from the whole work, and when Raven looked at the lines again her heart hammered beneath her breast. Phantom flashing through her mind, his hollow green eyes staring back at her. Raven shut the book when she heard Danny make an announcement standing up behind the counter.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon, so I'm closing up."

In any other store Raven would have found this odd. But looking around she understood, as many of the darker customers slinked out, the techno geeks giving vigorous thank you's for the fact that Danny probably saved their 'babies' lives. Looking back down at the book Raven noticed the next poem was titled _A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning_ she wanted to stay and read it, but the store was nearly empty now. Standing, Raven decided to ask if she could simply buy the book. Silently, she headed over to Danny who was turning the open sign to closed, the rumble of thunder passing over head.

"Is this book for sale?" She asked. Danny met her eyes. For a second, waves crashed inside his heart before he looked down to the book Raven held in her arms.

"No. You're holding the original," he stated.

"I see," Raven said looking down at it as well, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. She didn't even know why she wanted this book. She simply did. Danny watched as Raven turned to go put it back on its shelf, her violet eyes failing to hide the confusion and hurt underneath them. Danny let out a sigh. He was so going to regret doing this.

"Look, you can take it with you until I get a copy of the book alright, you just can't buy this one," he said nervously rubbing the back of his neck for bending one of his own rules.

Raven turned and faced him again, shocked by him allowing her to borrow one of his books. Even if it did sound like he'd taken a punch to the face to tell her this, but she couldn't help the small smile that passed her lips.

"Thank you, I will hold onto this until you have the copy for me," her normal monotone voice back in place. Danny merely nodded, seeming to debate rather or not he should resend his offer. Raven made sure to leave before he could change his mind. She walked for about half a block, before the first tear drops of rain fall on her face and looking up at the dark cloudy sky, she became nothing more than a shadow of a bird and flew home back into her room at Titan's Tower to drop off her book. The rain coming swiftly now. Deciding that she should let her team know that she was home, Raven left for the main area until she ran into Beastboy, who was holding a big pink balloon with a devilish smile on his face.

"What are you doing?" She asked, satisfied when Beastboy let out a girlish scream, desperately trying not to drop the liquid filled balloon onto the ground. Managing to catch it in nick of time, he turned to Raven who was looking at his giant rubber band sling shot with blank curiosity on her face before glaring.

"Please tell me this isn't another ridiculous prank," she said meeting his eyes, in which Beastboy instantly smiled smugly at his geniusness.

"Okay, it's not a ridiculous prank. It's a brilliant one. Ha!" He said while Raven rolled her eyes.

"Okay check it out, remember how Cyborg put red dye in my shampoo and I turned brown for two days…" Raven remembered. She and the team had laughed all the way through next week at that.

"Well sister, it's payback time!!" Beastboy exclaimed slamming his hands together in anticipation.

"I give you, the Beastboy Insta-Lube 9000!! See, when chrome dome steps around the corner: his foot tugs the string, the string trips the lever, the lever releases the mother of all rubber bands, which sends a balloon load of motor oil flying right at him and _wham!_ Pretty clever huh?" Beastboy said now looking to Raven who looked at his silly blueprint which he had taken out.

"You're a genius," she stated mentally adding _'in your own mind.'_

"It's just a little clean, dirty good fun," he said in return, when they heard a door opening and footsteps echoing down the hall.

"Here he comes!" Beastboy whispered excitedly, quickly grabbing Raven and dragging her back around the corner, kneeling so that they could watch the play by play.

"I do not think…" Raven tried to say as Beastboy peeked around the corner and shushed her.

"But what if…" She tried again but failing.

"Why are we hiding?" Came another whisper behind both the Titans, who Beastboy immediately shushed as well. That is until Beastboy realized that the new whispering person was a smiling Cyborg.

"Ahh!! Cyborg? You can't be Cyborg!" BB yelled as he and Raven both looked at Cy's very large form and confused face.

"I can't?"

"If you're you then who's…" Beastboy said pointing around the corner to where a tall, feminine figure rounded the corner, with purple boots that tripped the string, which tripped the lever that released the mother of all motor oil balloons, right into Starfire's face. Now in his defense, Beastboy did try to stop it, yelling out a dramatic _'no'_ right as the brown smelling liquid connected with Star's face, sending her crashing onto the floor.

"Starfire!" BB yelled as the other two Titans emerged from around the corner.

"You okay?" Cyborg asked as Starfire opened her eyes, rubbing the offending liquid away, not understanding why her friends would attack her so.

"This is punishment? I did something wrong?" She asked. At this, Raven and Cyborg plastered on their best, _we-screwed-up-but-how-do-we-make-her-understand-this,_ smiles.

"You didn't, he did," Raven clarified, pointing to Beastboy who smiled sheepishly as he walked over to Starfire trying desperately to explain. Cy and Rae weren't amused and Starfire was getting very angry at his trying to crack a joke about this screw up.

"On my planet we have a name to those do such terrible things. You are uh, uh, _Glorbag Barblernelck!"_ And with this she proceeded to get the offending goo out of her face and hair.

"I'm a what bag?" Beastboy asked backing right into Cyborg looking down at the little grass stain who could be such an idiot at times.

"You heard the lady." He said seriously.

"You are such a Glorbag." Raven agreed. Star's eyes now an electric green, looking ready to throw a star-bolt right at BB's face.

"Come on guys, can't anyone take a joke?" He said right as a clash of thunder roared in the sky, shaking the very Tower followed by a brilliant flash of lightening that lit up the entire hallway in blinding white light, right as Robin emerged from the shadows.

"Titans, trouble!"

And with this they left.

* * *

 

The storm was getting worse. Danny could hear it all the way from his Lab down in the basement. When a crash of thunder killed the power, Danny stopped what he was doing and headed into the kitchen for a flashlight. As he bent down to retrieve it from the cabinet by the phone he heard another crash. Only this sounded like glass being thrown in. Danny ran up the stairs. Where he noticed two things: one, the glass hadn't been shattered, the door violently shaking on its hinges as the wind and rain pelted into his store soaking the carpet. The second happened when he headed to go close and relock the door and his bare feet sank into small puddles on the carpet, roughly the size of thirteen combat boots.

Danny felt the blood run out of his face, heart constricting in his chest, adrenaline soared through his veins. He turned off the flashlight and closed the door, locking the deadbolt after giving it a hard push. Taking one step back from the door, water running through his toes, closing his eyes, he listened to the darkness. Muscles coiling for battle, back to the store, lightening dancing across his features. The rain continued hammering the city and in another flash of lightening a man appeared behind Danny ready to attack. His arm about to make contact to the base of the unmoving teen's neck. He felt the slice cut through the air, and quickly Danny side stepped it. His right arm coming up to redirect the attack. Grabbing the man's armored forearm, and with all his strength Danny threw him into the glass, which gave resounding vibrations from both the man and thunder. The fight began.

* * *

 

Slade had been monitoring Titan's Tower all day, thinking of ways to get what he wanted in the most painful and cruelest of ways. So when he saw the Titans all leave their Tower, his heart leapt in joy as ideas and plans formulated in his mind. He watched them enter a bookstore, plainly called Bookstore, from hacking into the city's police security cameras on the street. _'God bless Big Brother.'_ Slade thought.

Unfortunately, the bookstore didn't have any cameras inside that Slade could hack, and he didn't like that. No storeowner in their right mind wouldn’t put a camera in place, unless if they had something to hide. Slade sat in silence till thirty minutes later, four of the Titans emerged and left. He waited another hour for the sorceress to leave, a red carved book held between her arms. He zoomed in, that was an original. Slade began hunting through the city's archives, trying to find who owned that store. The search only turned up one piece of paper. That the store had been bought under the name Danny, age fifteen on August 25, 2010 with the help of Vlad Masters who was his legal adoptive guardian.

Vlad. That billon dollar man had cost Slade several stock holdings when he'd bought all of the businesses. So why had he helped this kid buy a store? When Vlad never claimed to have any kids at all. Another mystery, Slade felt his mouth tug up into an evil smirk, he loved a good chase. And with this Slade set off to the store, the rain pouring now.

The place was closed when he got there, even though it was only seven o'clock. However, with the darkened sky and rain it felt more like midnight. This was going to be easy. Slade picked the lock with ease, not worrying about if there was a security system, if there wasn't even a camera. He prepared to open the door when the wind howled and did it for him. Entering the pitch black store, he decided to leave it open. The violence of screaming metal sending chills of pleasure down his spine. Slade was impressed at the design of the place, the lightening giving brief glimpses at its layout. It seemed to go on forever. The chestnut shelves surrounding him, a small oak counter at the back, behind it a small door which probably led to a closet or backroom. On the left a small café, and a set of stairs leading up to the second floor, which looking up Slade could see the middle had been cut out into a hexagon with beautifully carved chestnut railing.

He had only walked about half-way when he heard the light padding of feet, followed by the click of a lock. Slade disappeared behind the many shelves and watched as a boy with raven hair, stepped out from the small closet door, dressed in a short gray shirt with dark blue jeans, holding a flashlight. He followed as the teen made his way towards the door, pausing just for a second as his bare feet stepped into a puddle on the thick red carpet. _Smart_ _child_.

The boy knew he was here. Slade observed, watching as the teen turned off the flashlight he was holding. Blending almost into the shadows if he hadn't still been making his way towards the door and instead of leaving, he shut it, locking himself and Slade inside. _'The kid has guts'_ Slade thought watching the child take one step back from the door, his breathing shallow, probably out of fear. Slade decided to kill him quickly. He never noticed the tensing of muscles beneath Danny's shirt and when he did, it was too late.

His back connected with the glass doors first, his metal armor sending shockwaves of pain down his spine. Slade quickly recovered, it would take more than glass to take him down. He stood facing the teen, what was his name again? Oh, right,

"Danny. Come now, is that any way to treat a guest?" Slade asked, slowly walking forward like a predator stalking his prey. Only the prey wasn't backing down.

"Yes, now why are you here?" Danny said taking a battle stance, slowly beginning to circle. Slade watched Danny's movements, this kid was a fighter. _'Let's see how good,'_ He thought.

"I'm here to get a book."

And with this he lunged at Danny, managing to get a hit in before Danny spun off into the darkness of the Victorian styled store. _'He's using the field to his advantage, just like Robin.'_ Slade thought moving into the shelves, going into the darkest part of the store. Slade began to feel his stomach tighten. His eye not able to see his hand two inches from his face. He began trailing his fingers along the book shelf for support, listening to the slightest of movements.

* * *

 

Danny barely escaped. The man had punched him in the face disorienting him, black fogginess setting around the corners of his vision. If it hadn't been for the fact that he designed this place and knew it by heart Danny was pretty positive he wouldn't have gotten away. So now, here he sat on the ledge, feet hanging over the railing as he tried to calm his breathing.

His head giving painful throbs every time he tried to take deep breaths, the headache from the morning giving him painful reminders that it was still present. Danny watched the first floor as another flash illuminated a shadow making its way down the back aisle, Danny stood quiet as a cat and walked on top of the railing preparing to strike. The man wouldn't be so lucky this time.

And in the next flash he was plunging downwards, right as the man looked up his eye going wide in surprise, Danny's foot connected with his chest sending him flying into the counter top. Danny did a roll letting the carpet absorb the shock. Ignoring the fact that by doing so his stomach flip flopped, making him want to hurl. Damn, he was never teleporting again.

The kid was a lot harder to kill than Slade expected. And he would have been impressed if Danny's attacks weren't sending him to the front door. In fact, Slade would love to have him as an apprentice, but there was something feral in Danny's eyes. It was as if they could see through Slade's very soul and at the same time, spoke volumes about Danny himself. This kid would never bend to Slade, he was to...ferocious. And at the same time so very weak. It told Slade the kid wouldn't last much longer. Something was eating Danny alive. But he wouldn't die or maybe he was already dead inside. Therefore, Slade would never be able to control him. Thunder cracked the same time Danny sent Slade crashing through the glass and into the street, ice blue eyes blazing in the darkness.

Danny followed out onto the concrete. Never registering the glass on the ground slicing through his feet, or the cold rain which was pounding him to the bones. No, he was only focused on the man who had cruelty for eyes. He began coiling, the rain morphing around his body, showing the raw power gathering inside. Slade stood, preparing to defend himself, when out of the storm two teens came flying past them: one, with pale yellow skin and spiky blonde hair, dressed in gold samurai armor, the second, with fare blue skin with deep blue hair partly showing under his armor that he was dressed in, which was deep blue samurai gear. They flew past them, taking the rain along as well, until only the overhanging black clouds remained concealing the night sky. Danny managed to jump out of the way before he was slammed into by the fast yellow one riding on electricity, _'Geez, what is with stupid superheroes almost flying into me?'_ Danny huffed in mild annoyance when the spiky kid turned and yelled at him.

"Hey, watch where you're going! You almost hit me!" And with this both teens disappeared leaving Danny standing there, his mouth hanging open in astonishment. _'Did he really just say that?'_ At this, Danny remembered he still had a fight to deal with but turning back to the street the man was long gone.

"Damn." He muttered.

Carefully making his way back to the store before realizing he'd locked the door to keep the evil eyed guy inside. Sighing, Danny looked around to make sure no one was there before he phased himself through the glass and floated back down into his house. Making sure to hit the emergency alarm button, which dropped heavy steel bars down in front of the door and windows, one of which Danny had shattered. He was going to have some paperwork at that.

It didn't take long for Danny to pull the broken glass shards out of his feet. Most he simply pulled out with tweezers. The blood immediately clotting, preventing any of it from getting on the bathroom floor. Pulling on his combat boots, ignoring the slight sting his wounds gave him from being aggravated by his socks, Danny made his way back up the stairs into his store, flipping on the lights to survey the damage he caused.

* * *

 

Beastboy and Starfire had been searching about thirty minutes for Thunder and Lightning, but to no avail. They only could follow the destruction the two had caused all in the name of _'fun'._ Beastboy had cringed at that, those two thought that this was fun. And when he tried to explain that to Thunder, he only ended up getting zapped by Lightning. Plus, it didn't help that Starfire still wasn't talking to him.

"Beastboy," Starfire called as she flew next to him a good ten feet away. He instantly transformed and hit the ground, looking at her with big hopeful puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, please tell me you've forgiven me." He said desperate to have his friend back. She merely humped at this, turned and pointed to Danny's bookstore, glass littering the sidewalk.

"I wish to make sure not-friend Danny is unharmed from the shattering of glass," and with this, she made her way over to the store, Beastboy's ears drooping. Standing outside the door, they knocked and waited for Danny as he walked up to it, sighed and pulled it open, allowing them to enter.

"What?" He said his head giving a painful throb.

"Not-friend Danny, are you unharmed? We saw the glass and the broken window," Star stated her eyes filled with concern for Danny. It looked like a small black bruise was forming a crescent shaped moon high on his cheek bone. Beastboy noticed that his clothes were damp and his semi messy hair was plastered to his face, sticking up at odd angles. Danny brushed it out of his eyes before he answered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The glass shattered from the storm caused by those two teens."

Starfire and Beastboy froze, before Star temporarily met BB's eyes, forgetting that she was still mad at him.

"You have seen them? Please, which way did they go, we need to stop them." She explained. Danny looked at her for a second before all three exited the store. Danny pointing down the street.

"They went down five blocks and turned left, heading into the arts district. But why are you chasing after those other heroes? Besides stopping them from reckless flying," Danny asked, at this Starfire's eyes darkened.

"We were fighting them on the bridge. They were destroying it. They are not heroes," And with this she flew off. Beastboy grimaced, he may not be smart, but those two weren't evil, they merely didn't understand.

"Is that what you believe as well?" Danny asked as he looked down at BB. For some reason the green guy wasn't smiling, probably because Starfire wasn't happy, and that set Danny's nerves on edge.

"What? I don't know. They say they're doing this _'cause it's fun._ But their fun nearly destroyed the bridge." And with that Beastboy transformed and flew off to go catch up with Starfire. Leaving Danny there to process what he'd meant. Danny chased after them, rage burning in his chest. 

Starfire and Beastboy landed at the main building in the arts district and walked up to the once beautiful marble stone slabs that had been knocked down like domino tiles on one side of the small glittering pool. As Starfire bent down to inspect the burn marks, Beastboy once again tried to lighten the mood.

"Well, either they were just here, or this is the ugliest modern art I've ever seen," he said pointing to the destroyed rubble. Star merely stood, turning her back away from Beastboy.

"You are not funny. You are a glorbag barblernleck," she said walking away.

"Come on Star, you can't stay mad forever. What? Do I have to do the face? You know you can't resist the face," he said transforming into a cute little green tabby kitten, with big adorable eyes and a cute pink nose, mewing softly as Starfire looked down at him.

"Humph," was her only reply.

"She resisted the Face?!" Beastboy said shocked, panic filling his heart. He desperately ran up to her as she was observing a burnt piece of metal that at one time held a giant marble stone world.

"Just talk to me Star! Come on, this is no fun," he said now begging on his knees.

"Wrong again, green one!" Came a nasally voice as Lightning and Thunder emerged from the air, chasing after the two Titans. Thunder went after Starfire as she dodged his sonic blue attacks, managing to get behind him and fire one of her star-bolts. In a way, it was sort of like the game of tag, only deadlier. Lightning firing at Beastboy, who turned into a rabbit to get away, then a mouse, the yellow teen kept attacking.

"Ha! Your animal forms cannot protect you forever!" Lightning said, that is until he was hit by a green Ox sending his tall, lanky form crashing into the ground.

Star and Thunder where having a battle of power as they both struggled to hit the other with their attacks. Starfire screamed out in a burst of strength as her star-bolt defeated Thunder, sending his massive blue form back onto the steps of the art building. She then turned to Lightning and began again.

Beastboy charged at Thunder, head butting him into the wall in bear form. This time he prayed Lightning wouldn't interfere.

"I don't want to hurt you. And I don't think you want to hurt me," he said trying to figure out who these two brothers were.

"Pain does not amuse us," Thunder answered, his deep voice and eyes confused at what the green changeling was implying.

"Could've fooled me. Keep playing rough and innocent people will get hurt!" Beastboy yelled as he gripped the armor on Thunder's shoulders tighter.

So intent were the teens, that they never noticed a tall thin man with a long white beard and hair, dressed in a red robe and black clothing appear. He looked to be of Asian descent. Smiling, the man took out a small brown box supported by three legs. It looked like a camera box and opening the lid, he directed a red laser that powered up as he turned the handle, sending a powerful stream of energy through the remaining stone walls, destroying them all as it went. The rocks came falling down. Right where Star was, her electric green eyes growing wide in surprise until she screamed as the rocks came down on top of her.

"Star!!" Was all Beastboy choked out as he watched his friend get buried, hidden behind smoke. He never even thought where the attack came from. But the two teens did and they were shocked by the man’s power.

"Your gifts are your own. Who are they to tell you how to use them?" Came a mysterious voice in the darkness.

"And who are you that commands such power?" Lightning asked.

"Show yourself!" He screamed.

"As you wish." And with this, the man emerged from the smoke, his straw hat showing only one eye.

"I am but a humble, old man. Whose power is drawn from nature, like your own. Come with me and sow as much destruction as you please," he smiled as Lightning exclaimed his happiness at the thought of more fun. But Thunder stopped him.

"Will we harm anyone?" Thunder asked, his brother looked to him like he was crazy.

"What? The green one has poisoned your mind!" Lightning said, but his brother still wasn't convinced.

"This destruction, will we harm the innocent?" Thunder tried again as he and Lightning looked back to the strange man.

"Would it matter if you did? You are unique, gifted, better. Why should anything interfere with your enjoyment? I am going, follow if you wish," the man said as he left.

"Come brother, and leave your foolish thoughts behind," Lightning ordered as he too turned and left with the man. Thunder gave one last look back before he too turned and followed.

* * *

 

Danny almost didn't make it. He had run five blocks when he heard the sounds of battle. But as he watched he noticed the two different colored teens, merely looking as if they were having fun. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard Beastboy try and tell Thunder of the consequences if he kept playing this game. Beastboy almost had him when Danny heard the sound of energy powering up and looking, saw a strange old man fire a red beam of energy at the marble walls. Danny transformed right as the energy struck the first wall. He turned intangible when he heard Starfire scream, and he teleported when he realized he wouldn't make it.

Starfire felt someone holding her. And her first thought was of Robin, but he wasn't here. Slowly, she lifted her head from the strange person's shoulder to see that Phantom was the one who had saved her. Only he wasn't, it was as if he were clear. A shimmering white aura surrounding him, and looking at herself Starfire noticed that she too was the same clear white. She tried to pull away, but immediately stopped when Phantom give a hiss of pain.

"Don't. I won't be able to keep this up much longer, especially if you get to far away," Phantom said looking at her. His eyes a soul piercing green meeting Star's temporary clear ones. She nodded, not wanting to hurt him anymore. Lowering her head back down onto his shoulder, she felt him shift slightly, placing one arm between her shoulder blades, the other on the small of her back, before flying her up and out of the jagged pile of rocks. The second they were out Starfire felt his power leave, and both she and Phantom became visible. It was then, that Starfire realized, she was virtually 'hugging' Phantom, and felt a red hot blush dance across her face. Remembering the entire conversation her and Raven had about how hot Phantom was, when they had first seen him standing in the desert after her sister's arrest.

The blush disappeared however when she felt herself taking most of his weight as he began to collapse. Gripping onto him, Starfire helped Phantom find his way to the ground without gravity doing it for him. The ghost teen let out a small sigh as he leaned back on the fallen rocks, sending her a smile of appreciation. Starfire smiled as well, but was torn away when she heard Beastboy cry out her name. Looking back down at Phantom who gave her a nod that he was fine, ushering her to go, his eyes concerned for Beastboy. And with this, she flew up into the air landing lightly behind Beastboy as he frantically dug through the rocks. 

"Come on Star, give me a sign here! You have to be alright, okay? 'Cause I… it was just a joke, you know back at the Tower. And I'm sorry. I never said it, but I'm really, _really_ sorry. It was supposed to be funny and you could've been hurt and I'm a total glorbag," Beastboy whispered his shoulders beginning to shake from the tears that threatened to spill over. Starfire, who had been shocked at Beastboy's statement shook herself out of the trance and walked closer to Beastboy. A smile spreading across her lips at her friend's apology. Beastboy turned when he felt a shadow move into his vision and saw that it was Starfire. Instantly he smiled and screamed out her name in pure joy, leaping into her arms as the adorable kitten she loved, causing her to laugh.

"I am glad that you are unharmed as well," she said, Beastboy transforming back into his human form, down on his knees as he looked up to Starfire.

"I am sooooo sorry. You gotta forgive me," He begged, with this she placed her hands on his shoulders as he stood up.

"I already have. Now those evil brothers must be made to apologize," she stated.

"I don't think they are evil." Beastboy said his thoughts were answered when Phantom emerged from around the corner looking a little exhausted but unharmed.

"They're not. But they're about to do something they'll most likely regret."

With this, Starfire looked up, meeting Phantom's gaze as Beastboy gave a girlish shriek, wildly turning and pointing his finger right in Danny's face.

"What the…how long have you been here?" BB yelled, Danny gave him a mischievous smile.

"Long enough. What did you do to Star back at Titan's Tower?" He asked, Beastboy 'eeped', but Phantom didn't pursue the question as he turned his gaze to the night sky.

"We need to go," he said, and with this he flew off. Starfire and Beastboy following behind him.

* * *

 

Thunder and Lightning were not happy. The strange man had promised them fun destruction, but he had taken them to a field in the forest north of Jump City. And in the field were simple firing targets, with sticks holding them up, some protruding out of the bags to form arms and weird pale symbols painted onto the bags themselves.

"Sticks and leaves? Is this a joke?! There is no fun in blasting such frail targets!!" Lightning said frustrated at the man.

"Are you certain young master? Try, you may like what you see," the strange man stated, pointing to one of the nearby targets. Giving a growl of annoyance, Lightning did as he was told, letting his gold electricity flow free and strike. The target went up in a blaze of fire, dancing around the symbol, burning the sticks inside. Lightning jumped in surprise at the colorful display.

"Dancing lights. Pleasing," He said his nasally voice filled with glee, his face one of amusement.

"Let Thunder try his hand," Thunder exclaimed walking forward, blue energy condensing in his giant palm as he unleashed sound itself. When it hit the target, it gave a resounding boom and exploded into fire.

"Wondrous noise," Thunder boomed.

"See brother, there is no harm in our fun," Lightning said as he stood by Thunder's side gazing up at him. With this the strange man walked forward.

"And there is so much fun to be had.” With this both brothers soared off the ground, riding on golden electricity and dark blue clouds striking every target in sight. Until none were left, leaving them wanting more.

"More targets old one," Lightning demanded.

"Yes, please give us more," Thunder said turning to look at the strange one-eyed man who gave a wicked smirk.

"That won't be necessary. You've done quite enough," he said, both brothers now stared at him in confusion. They watched him pull a circular tablet out with a final symbol painted on it and throwing it up into the center of the sky, the device being pulled by some unknown force. It turned red, as it gathered energy around itself before firing at all thirty-nine burning totem poles. Bringing them together, forming a giant flaming Beast, taller than the trees. This rose from the ashes at the man's command.

"Burn fire. _Burn It All_." The man screamed with this the Beast began to move, but was stopped when six people stood on the ground below.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you, play with fire and you're going to get burned," Robin said looking up at the flaming Beast that sent a wave of red at them. All of them dodged, Danny choosing to not comment on the lame witty retort. As he flew into the clouds, letting the wind drown out his pounding headache. Teleporting to save Starfire hadn't been smart, he nearly failed, and to top it off he was still the fighting blackness that surrounded his vision. It was official, he definitely wasn't using that power ever again. It had too many side effects. Danny watched as the Beast made its way towards the city. Fire now spreading into the trees and soil, making it hard to see the man standing on the hill smiling, along with the two brothers.

"Good, very good," the man said.

"Brother, what've we done?" Thunder said looking to Lightning.

* * *

 

The Titans focused on stopping the Beast. Robin yelling for them to go. He threw smoke bombs down to confuse the Beast as Raven ripped up the nearby trees to stop the fire from spreading. Beastboy and Starfire joining in to help, as Cyborg slammed his sonic cannon into the ground covering the thing in wet dirt, extinguishing the flames, stopping the Beast.

"Is he out?" Beastboy asked, his question answered by the Beast's roaring voice. New flames licking up its disfigured body.

"Had to ask," Raven said.

The Beast was growing more powerful by the second, his fury increasing at these foolish humans that stood in his way. It was then that Robin noticed the man standing on the hill next to Thunder and Lightning looking down at the entire fight.

"Go young masters, fire is your creation, they have no right to destroy your fun," he ordered, Lightning quickly agreed.

"Yes, we must fight!" He said, Thunder didn't agree.

"But brother…”

"Do not annoy me with your foolish concerns. Come!" Lightning snapped and with this Thunder followed.

As soon as the brothers were gone Danny attacked by breaking the staff in two, the man not seeming to be surprised by his appearance.

"Phantom, we meet at last," his grey eye smirking. Danny hesitated, _'he knew of him',_ but it didn't last long, for the old man attacked.

Robin made his way up the burning hill, he needed to get there. Phantom hadn't helped them fight the Beast. But Robin knew he was at the top of the hill, and he would need help. Starfire told them on the communicators that Phantom had saved her, although she didn't go into details but she did say he was weakened. And now he was here still fighting, he would need help.

The Beast was getting closer to the city. The Titans were losing ground fast. Raven striking the creature with her black magic extinguishing it once more. Only it didn't die. The cracks in its skin formed again and fire spread out from its very core, blowing all of the Titans back. As they tried to get up, they were struck by Lightning, sending them back down to the ground once more. Lightning approaching Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven preparing to strike again. Thunder however was in a standoff with Beastboy, who growled at him in his tiger form.

"Stand aside green one," Thunder demanded Beastboy gave another roar. Both charged at one another, Thunder tapping into the primal instinct inside Beastboy, given to him from Nature itself.

"I do not wish to do harm to you," Thunder said, shadow violet-blue mist swirling around him, and Beastboy who gazed at Thunder through his tiger eyes.

"But you want to destroy homes and innocent lives?" He retorted.

"No," Thunder said back.

"Then what're you fighting for?" Beastboy asked.

"My brother and I, the old says we are unique, gifted… better," Thunder said trying to make it sound like a just answer.

"Gifts don't make you better. Only different, it's how you use them that counts."

After that, Thunder left.

* * *

 

Danny had been holding his own pretty well, especially since he wasn't even attacking. Something about this man's fighting style reminded him of someone. The man backed Danny up into a tree. His back slamming into its bark, Robin racing towards them.

"Tell me child, have you let someone die before?" The man asked and it was then that Danny knew. He was the man from the store, the one with the cruel grey eye.

"No!" Danny screamed, firing blindly. Lashing out with a green ecto-blast right into the man's chest. Robin was next to Danny in a second, who stood there gasping for air.

"Are you o.k.?" Robin asked. Phantom didn't even look at him. He just stood there, watching the strange man with shocked eyes as he stood up from the blast. The man gave a merciless smile that sent chills down Robin's spine.

"I see you have. Did you fail? Like you're about to do now."

With this both Danny and Robin turned toward the giant flaming Beast as it moved to the last forest floor, the houses a mile away. Phantom spun, facing the man again. When he noticed the broken staff laying in the dirt, a gold symbol at the top, the same that was on the Beast. Danny quickly turned meeting Robin's gaze, understanding dawning on his features.

"Go," Robin said and with that Phantom flew off at top speed. Leaving Robin alone with the man, raging fire at their feet.

"Robin, what a pleasant surprise.”

"Who are you?" Robin asked. The man attacked. 

Lightning had reached the three Titans collapsed on the ground.

"It seems your power has its limits. But mine has none," Lightning said, his hand coursing with gold electricity. As he raised his arms to strike, he was blown back by powerful attack of blue thunder. Anger flared through Lightning. His brother betrayed him.

"You betray me?" Lightening accused.

"We have done wrong, my brother, our fun must stop," Thunder growled his voice giving no room for argument.

"No one commands lightening. Not even thunder!" Lightning yelled as he attacked his brother.

The Beast was almost at the bottom of the hill as the Titans watched helplessly.

"Those houses go, the whole city could go. We gotta stop the fire!" Cyborg yelled.

"How?" Raven asked.

"Any way we can." Cyborg replied and with this they took off, running towards the outskirts of the city. Lightning flew at Thunder, blasting him back into a boulder that had yet to be claimed by the fire. As he sank onto the forest floor, his brother approached him ready to attack again, when Thunder met Lightning's eyes.

"Tell me, brother, are we still having fun?" He asked. Lightning didn't attack, his electricity fizzling out.

"No." He realized.

"Observe," Thunder said as they watched the Beast make its way to the road. The Titans doing everything to stop it. Shooting water and holding back the fire with Raven's power. But what shocked Lightning the most was the white haired teen who flew straight at the Beast's head. His leg connecting to the fire as he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick, making the Beast stumble backwards a few paces. Both brothers stared in shock as well as the Titans. And Lightning watched the teen do it again, he realized that Thunder had been right all along.

"They also have gifts. But they use them for good, while we waste ours on dangerous fun. If we are so special brother, let us act special. We must help," Thunder stated as Lightning watched the same teen kick the Beast once more. If only back to the same place he'd been not seconds before.

"But how?" Lightning asked and with this both brothers looked to the only people they knew could help, the Titans.

* * *

 

The Teen Titans couldn't believe their eyes. Phantom was knocking the Beast back, if only a few feet, but his strength was slowly failing. The entire right side of his leg black and burned as he continued to drive the creature back.

"That's enough man. You'll kill yourself!" Cyborg yelled as he kept his foot on the fire hydrant directing water onto the Beast. Phantom kept attacking, giving one more kick before he landed next to Starfire who immediately caught him around the waist as his leg gave out. They all watched as the Beast began making his way forward again, then suddenly Thunder and Lightning were there.

"Please, we wish to help," Lightning said as he gazed at the Titans, his eyes falling on Phantom and his bleeding leg.

"How? You two created this thing," Raven stated as she continued to push the fire back.

"Create a storm," Phantom spoke, everyone now looking at him.

"If you do that, then I'll be able to help you stop him," No one argued, looking at the blazing green-eyed teen. Immediately the two brothers disappeared into the sky. Black clouds thickening, the drumming of thunder being heard up above, following after flashes of lightening.

The smell of a coming storm in the air. 

Danny hurt. He felt like he'd just stepped through the fires of hell. No scratch that, hell was too broad of a term. He felt like he had a spike driven through his head, and every muscle flayed from his bones. That's what he felt like. But as the first drops of rain fell, he stood. Starfire letting him go as he reached inside his very core to the one power that could kill fire, ice. His power surged forth, his eyes completely blue as he rocketed through the sky releasing his power down the center of the Beast, which howled in pain.

Again, he attacked, bringing his right leg down into a curve slashing the Beast once more. He sent an ice punch up high. Ignoring the searing flesh as his fist made contact with the flames. He kept attacking until his ice formed the opposite symbol carved on the Beast's head, which read fire. The great symbol coldly burning, resting on the creature's chest read ice. And with this the Beast screamed out in pain, as the character sank into his skin. Dulling the creatures flames, the storm pelting the monster down, killing it until nothing was left but ash and ending the forest fire that had been raging. They had won. The Titans cheered, never in their lives had they been so grateful for rain.

Robin was pinned to a tree, suspended in the air as the man held him up.

"Robin, is that the best you can do?" The man asked when a stray bolt of lightning struck the man to the ground, dropping Robin. Landing on the ground, Robin looked to see the man standing, his face falling off, revealing the brown metallic mask underneath. Robin gasped as Slade disappeared into smoke, leaving behind only the talisman of fire.

"Slade," was all Robin said.

* * *

 

Everyone was still cheering when Beastboy turned to see Thunder, Lightning and Phantom walking up to them. Well, Thunder and Lightening were walking. Phantom was floating, burn marks across his right leg, and up his left arm and fist. Beastboy ran up to them, followed closely by the Titans. Thunder bowed to both Beastboy and Phantom.

"I am sorry for the trouble we have made," Thunder said then nudging his spiky haired brother as well.

"I am, also sorry," Lightning replied sincerely, taking extra care to bow to Phantom.

"You have taught us much green one. Thank you," Thunder continued shaking Beastboy's hand.

"Don't thank me. Thank the person who taught me," Beastboy answered gesturing to Starfire, who approached them as the two brothers bowed to her in respect.

"And thank you for helping to defeat the flame monster." She replied.

"Yes well, we wouldn't have done it without your teammate." Thunder answered looking over to Phantom, who hovered there his mouth going slack in shock at what Thunder assumed.

"Thank you, white haired one," Lightning hastily added and with this, both flashed away in white light to rejoin the storm.

The Titans all looked at Phantom with fear at the fact that the brothers had called them teammates. But Phantom only sighed, looking beat up and burned.

"Please, you require healing," Starfire said, but as she approached Phantom, he recoiled from her. His senses seeming to return to him.

"I am _not_ your teammate," he growled, his glowing eyes solidifying the statement. The Titans all stared, Phantom began to leave when Robin emerged from the forest, his eyes immediately meeting Phantom's

"Do you know who that man was?" Danny asked before Robin could question his injuries.

"Yes. It was Slade," Danny froze, his feet hitting the ground. That had been Slade. The one who had broken into his store, the one who said…

"Phantom, you alright man?" Cyborg asked walking up and placing a hand on Phantom's uninjured shoulder. Then Danny did something he swore he'd never do again, he teleported home 

The Titans were back at home. Cyborg analyzing the thing Slade had left behind.

"So, Slade wants to destroy the city, the question is, why?" He asked.

"I don't know. But I will find out and he won't get away with it," Robin said, but another question still plagued his mind: what had Slade said to Phantom up on that hill? And why did he seem afraid?

* * *

 

Everything was falling into place. When those two teens flew past him in the storm Slade knew how to get what he wanted. Granted with the Beast gone it would take longer to get Phantom to join him. But soon, he would have everything, including the Titan.

Victory was at hand.

* * *

 

 

The dream was coming. He knew it and yet couldn't fight it. So why did his muscles already feel like they were on fire? It wasn't time yet. The dream started, Danny remaining silent as he watched helpless, struggling to get free. Only this time the dream began to change, for alongside his family stood the Titans. He watched, and for the first time in over a year Danny screamed out: as Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, Mom, Dad, Jazz, Tucker, Starfire, Raven and Sam all died. Fiery pain awoke him and Danny continued to scream.

 

* * *

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 


	6. The Sum of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does it take to make one human? Danny dreams of Sam.

**I can't remember falling...**

 

_"I have no memories I'm prepared to share with you."  
~Peter O'Toole_

 

Titans Phantom

Chapter 6: The Sum of Memories

 

" _Danny."_

" _Yeah, Sam?"_

" _I'm sorry."_

" _For what?"_

" _Killing you."_

It was early in the morning as Raven made her way to the Bookstore. The air still holding the rain's scent from the storm. The rest of the Titan's were still at home sleeping and Raven couldn't blame them. It had been a long night. But she found she could not sleep.

Her mind was plagued by Phantom. She could see him, hear him, taste his power, and yet she could not feel him. It was as if he were a ghost, as if his heart and mind were not there standing in front of her. And yet he was, he was here, all of her senses telling her he was. Raven just couldn’t reach him. This had never happened to her before.

If Phantom truly was a spirit of some sort, then she should be able to feel his obsession. She should feel his heart. But Phantom held no such obsession, he held no desire, and yet he was filled with life. He existed. Why? What was keeping him here? And why could she not feel his aura? She arrived at the bookstore, only it was closed. Taking a look, Raven did see that it was only closed on Sundays but today was Tuesday. It should be open.

Sighing, Raven turned to leave, mindful of the small glass fragments that still littered the streets. When she noticed a small black button beside the handle of the door. Looking at it she realized it must be the door bell. After all, Cyborg did say that Danny lived in the basement. Raven debated, if the store was closed then that must mean Danny was at school, but then how could the store be open by nine every morning? Curious, Raven rang the doorbell and waited.

She heard the muffled chime as it rang through the store, its sound slipping out from the broken window. Raven wasn't sure how long she stood there, and was about to leave when she heard a door open. Danny walking down the aisle rubbing his eyes tiredly. He didn't even look up until he reached the door and seeing that it was Raven turned the lock to allow her inside. He must have given up trying to avoid talking with the Titans.

The store was dimly lit, the only light filtering in from the windows, the smell of rain and paper filling her nose she noted while moving around Danny, who’d flopped down on one of the nearby couches. Raven joined him, sitting down by his feet, which were covered with thick black socks, lowering her hood Raven sat there, taking in Danny's appearance.

He was wearing a long baggy jacket with a black under armor shirt to hide his arms, on his left hand he had wrapped white bandages around his fingers and palm, and he wore deep blue baggy sweat pants that looked maybe a half a size to big. Overall, his clothes made him look frail. As if he could shatter at the slightest touch. It didn't help that Danny had his right arm thrown over his face, shielding his eyes from the sun, his black messy hair looking like he'd just woken up. As Raven watched him, her overall impression was that he looked ill.

"Are you sick? Is that why you're missing school?" She asked with this Danny raised his arm showing two blue laughing pools. Danny did laugh out loud, until it turned into a slight cough. Raven sat there pondering the idea that maybe he was on drugs.

"Sorry, no I'm not sick. It's just a monster headache. And I graduated from high school last year," he said closing his eyes from the sun as Raven concluded that he was not on drugs, merely in a lot of pain.

"Then you are a lot older than you look," Raven stated looking at Danny trying to picture him as voter in California.

"No, I'm sixteen. I graduated when I was fifteen," he said opening his eyes and looking at her with slight annoyance.

"Then they must have done that to get rid of you. Were you too stupid for school?" Raven asked for some reason she liked seeing him looking at her with such annoyance. It was better than him lying there looking…dead. Danny gave a snort of irritation, now fully glaring at her although not quite pulling it off with the shadows under his eyes.

"No, I graduated because the school was too stupid for me. Ever heard of young geniuses?" He asked.

"Yes. But most of them are twitchy little things being held in underground government facilities. Playing video games and designing jetpacks while trying their hands at online dating," she said. Danny gave a brief laugh.

"Wow. Didn't peg you out to be a conspiracy theorist."

"And I didn't make you out to be a genius. And I'm not the conspiracy theorist, Beastboy is. He thinks that's where all the smart people go, and why online dating exists," Raven said a smile forming on her face at the memory of BB telling the entire team that ridiculous idea.

"Please tell me you corrected him," Danny asked now really trying not to laugh.

"No, we tend to let him believe what he wants. He learns more that way when he discovers he's wrong," she said trying to hide her confusion as to why Danny was talking to her. She concluded it was from the pain when she saw him grimace at a ray of sun that seemed to like his face.

"I see," Danny replied placing his arm over his eyes once more. Raven looked around the store, a slightly awkward silence setting in between them. She wanted him to speak again.

"Why are you not open today?" She asked her eyes falling back to Danny who was now staring at her from under his arm.

"Headache. Didn't feel like dealing with all of the customers today," with this Danny stood. Swaying slightly he made his way over to the café and poured himself a glass of water. Raven followed noting how he favored his left leg.

"Is your leg injured?"

"Yeah, fell down the stairs last night and hit my head. Why do you think I have the headache?" He said looking at her, his emotions hidden just behind the wall. Raven sighed, she couldn't reach him as well.

"I see," Raven answered as her communicator went off. Looking back to Danny she saw him grimace at the sound, but otherwise said nothing when she answered it. Robin was on the other end.

"Hey, we need you back at the Tower." Raven nodded as he hung up.

"I need to go. I hope you feel better," she said pulling on her hood, making her way to the door, Danny trailing behind.

"Thanks," he said and with this he watched Raven fly off. Danny relocked the door and turning, floated back to the other side of the room, down the stairs, and over to his room where he then phased out of his jacket and shirt. Revealing red stained bandages running along his left arm and up his shoulder. Sitting down on his bed, he carefully removed the black sock on his right foot, hissing in pain as he pulled at some of the new skin cells.

Danny shifted, rolling onto his stomach so as not to disturb the burns that snaked across the back part of his right leg. He would have to change the bandages soon, Danny knew this. But once his head hit the soft pillow his mind drifted away into unconsciousness. The dull beat of the headache slowly fading with every breath he took, until Danny felt no more.

* * *

 

"A picnic, you demanded I return home so we can have a picnic," Raven deadpanned as she glowered at Robin, who smiled sheepishly. Raven continued to glare at him and the rest of the team.

"You know you want to," Cyborg said smirking as he walked up behind her holding a huge brown picnic basket. Raven sighed and followed the group out, Starfire joining her side.

"Friend Raven, where were you?"

"I went to Danny's store, but it was closed."

"Was Danny at school?" Robin asked, although now that he thought about it, it was weird that Danny said to enjoy 'my' store. Did he own it?

"No. Danny graduated from school when he was fifteen," at this Robin was impressed.

"Is not-friend Danny alright?" Starfire asked, concerned for him.

"He's fine. He just has a headache from falling down some stairs and an injured leg." Raven said at this Beastboy burst out laughing.

"Dude, even I'm not that clumsy!" BB howled at this Cyborg stuck his foot out as they made their way down the sidewalk heading to the park. Effectively tripping Beastboy who landed on his face.

"Oh look, you're on the sidewalk. Guess it means you're clumsier," Cyborg said as the Titans all walked past BB who promptly pulled himself off the ground.

"Not cool, and that doesn't count. I'm not clumsy!" He yelled chasing after them.

The park was beautiful, this day was beautiful. The breeze was cool, the sun was shining and Cyborg was cooking four and a half pounds of ribs. People were everywhere enjoying life itself. Robin and Starfire were talking on a park table while making sandwiches, Raven was meditating under an old oak tree, a boxed salad by her side with slices of ham and eggs in it, a travel mug of herbal tea, and Beastboy, well Cyborg wasn't sure, but the little grass stain was somewhere.

"Would you look at that? A little sunshine, a little breeze only one thing could make this day better, four and a half pounds of Baby Back Ribs!" Cyborg said as he made his way over to the table where Robin was eating a burger and Starfire was drinking from a yellow bottle. But Cy didn't notice that, he was too busy admiring his handy work.

"Man, I love picnic food!"

"Agreed Cyborg. This tangy yellow beverage is truly delightful," Starfire smiled when both Cyborg and Robin realized that she was drinking mustard, both stopped eating.

"Uh Starfire," Cy started.

"That's mustard." Robin finished grossed out.

"Is there more?" She asked hopefully, neither Titan answered.

Meanwhile back at the grill, a little green raccoon made his way over to the grill from a nearby tree branch and dropped down onto the ground, grabbing his lunch and transforming back into Beastboy.

"Sweet, my tofu dogs are cooked to perfection. Yo, Raven, try one! They're loaded with soy-beanie goodness," Beastboy called waving his hot dogs in the air.

Raven only stared. "I respect that you don't eat meat. Please respect that I don't eat fake meat." At this Beastboy shrugged and gobbled down his hot dogs and Cyborg ran past him holding a football.

"Alright ya'll, who wants to play some football?" Everyone instantly joined. Robin and Cyborg we're on a team, Beastboy and Starfire on the other, Raven saying she'd be referee. With this the game started.

"Red 23 hut, Hut!" Robin called as Cyborg passed him the ball running down the field being chased by Starfire. As Robin prepared to throw it, Beastboy began counting up in Gotham Cities as Cy continued to run.

"You can run, you can fly, but you can't catch Cy!" Cyborg yelled. Starfire's eyes an electric green as she prepared to intercept to ball.

"Four Gotham City, FIVE GOTHAM CITY!!" BB yelled charging at Robin as a giant Triceratops, Robin yelled out in surprise but jumped onto Beastboy, spinning in the air and throwing the football as hard as he could straight for Cyborg's waiting arms.

"I got it! I got it! I…" Cyborg never got to finish, for his world went black as he shut down. He came crashing to the ground. His armor going black, his red eye shutting down as his human one closed in sleep.

* * *

 

Danny woke up in pain, for somehow he had managed to roll onto his back during sleep and irritate his wounds.

"Ow!" Danny howled as he quickly floated up into the air. Landing on the ground balancing on his left foot to avoid any extra pain. Frustration set on his face _'what was the point of recovering if he couldn't even sleep?'_ Mentally cursing his mind, Danny set off to the bathroom to change his bandages before heading out. Danny wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep, but looking at the clock he realized that it was past one. Grabbing his keys and sketchpad he headed out, ignoring the burn of his flesh.

" _Sam, you've never killed me." Danny replied looking at her through the darkness. Tucker had gone home long ago. But Sam shook her head and gazed up to the stars as if the Heaven's themselves were condemning her._

" _Yes, I did. I convinced you to go in that portal, and I did again when I realized that we were all still in danger from Desiree and the other ghosts. I sacrificed you to protect us. I killed you, Danny." With this she buried her head in her hands, her shoulders beginning to tremble from the tears that threatened to spill. Danny felt his heart tear in two. Yes, he was partially dead, but Sam hadn't killed him. With this in mind he pulled her forward, peeling her hands away from her face, replacing them with his own._

" _Sam. Sam, look at me," he said his voice soft and strong. She shuddered and met his eyes with hers._

" _Sam, you didn't kill me. I did. I would have gone into that portal with or without your help. But if you and Tucker hadn't been there for me once I stepped out, I don't know what would have happened. And besides, when I stepped in the portal the second time, I was still a halfa. Desiree couldn't strip that from me, even though she believed she did. She only made me forget." Danny finished rubbing away two small tears that fell from her eyes._

" _But Danny, I still gave you up. I wished you away."_

" _And you also wished me back."_

* * *

 

The blackness was ending. Cyborg was coming back to the sounds of his friends who all sounded very worried. Although why, he had no idea.

"Cyborg, are you alright?" Robin asked as he and Starfire helped him up.

"Yeah, thanks."

"What happened?" Raven asked looking up at him in concern.

"Something must have gone wrong with my systems," Cyborg mumbled, taping a built in screen in his arm to scan for the problem, which instantly appeared.

"Ah man, my power cell's dying," he said irritated.

"Dying?" Starfire freaked. Her friend was dying!

"It's only a battery, I'm fine. Happens every couple of years, just a natural part of being unnatural," Cy answered shrugging it off like the wind, or trying to at least.

"So what do we do?" Robin asked wanting to help, Cyborg bent down to retrieve the football and handed it to Robin.

"You keep playing. I have to go home and change batteries," he said walking off.

"You sure you don't want help?" Beastboy called.

"Just 'cause I can't have fun, doesn't mean ya'll can't."

And with this Cyborg left to head home, making his way across the grass and onto the stone path. It really was a nice day. As he continued to walk he noticed someone up ahead leaning on a tree, Cyborg knew who he was. Danny. Cyborg was shocked, he never imagined Danny to be the nature loving type. But there he sat, a pencil and paper in hand drawing. Man, Raven really understated Danny's headache, the kid practically looked sick. Cyborg made his way towards him when he saw Danny close his eyes and lean his head back on a tree looking ready to hurl.

"Hey man, you alright?" Cy asked, making sure to note how long he had till his battery shut down. Twenty minutes. Danny opened his eyes.

"Yeah, you?" Danny asked a little annoyed.

"Yeah, did you injure your hand?" He asked noting the white bandages.

"When I fell down the stairs I strained my wrist. It should be fine in a couple of days," Danny replied closing his eyes once more, praying that Cyborg would just go away. He did.

As Cy continued his walk a piece of the puzzle fell in place. Danny only answered questions he was asked. Never going into details. Cyborg asked about his hand and Danny told him. He didn't tell him about his headache or his leg. In fact, Danny never told them anything outside of what they asked. As if he didn't want them to know. Like he didn't want anyone to know.

"Cyborg!" A voice called, startling the Titan from his thoughts, and turning Cyborg saw a kid no older than ten, dressed in baseball gear running up to him. School for them must have finally gotten out for the day.

"Whoa, Cyborg it's really you!" The kid exclaimed happily doing a double take at his hero to make sure it was him.

"You're my favorite 'cause look, you're just like me!" He said excitedly pulling off his gloved hand to reveal a brown prostatic hand that looked to extend past his wrist. What do you say to that? He never thought of himself as being disabled for his wires and bolts. But here this kid was saying they were exactly alike.

"Um yeah. I, I guess I am," he said trying to hide his shock. His communicator went off signaling an alert.

"Cool," the kid said as he watched his inspiration.

"Nice meeting you, kid. But I got butt to kick!" Cyborg said running off to find the other Titans.

"Cool!" He yelled again, Cyborg was awesome! As Cyborg ran he checked his clock one more time, thirteen minutes and twenty-one seconds. He could do this.

The criminal was robbing Dan's Jewelry Store. Dan was currently tied up and gagged, hanging down from the ceiling. Screaming as he watched the crazy blue magician stealing his gems. The magician turned around, he had a big nose with a white mustache and a small pointy white beard with white hair that came to two points around his face. He probably was bald underneath his black top hat. He wore a tuxedo with a yellow flower. No doubt designed to squirt water, he had on two white gloves and a bright red cape. On his face a domino mask rested, concealing his eyes, but what was striking were his blue pointy ears and skin. His name was Mumbo.

"Thanks so much, you've been a wonderful audience. Now watch as the amazing Mumbo vanishes into thin air!" Mumbo said his voice annoyingly grating to the ears making anyone who heard him want to punch him in the face. But Dan couldn't, so he watched as Mumbo pulled out his toy wand, no seriously, that's what it looked like–Dan would swear to you –and waved it around, blue sparks flying out of its tip as Mumbo screamed.

"Mumbo Jumbo!" And Mumbo vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving Dan to wonder what the heck just happened and still tied to the ceiling.

Mumbo ran to Tito's Junkyard laughing all the way. Looking like the blue form of the Tasmanian devil. Stopping when he felt it was safe after all, who would follow him to the junkyard? Snapping his fingers he made a beautiful diamond appear holding up an eyeglass to inspect it.

"Not bad for a matinee."

"Shows over, Mumbo," Robin said, Mumbo gave a gasp of surprise, overdramatically spinning around to look at the Titans.

"Now hand over the jewels before the critics decide to trash your performance." Mumbo gave an annoyed look at Robin, he really didn't like the Titans.

"Now Robin, I'm sure there's a peaceful solution here," Mumbo answered as two small bombs appeared in his hands. "But this isn't it!" He screamed throwing them at the team, all  dodging the flying bombs. As Robin landed on the dirt a safe distance away he felt someone reach out and grab his cape dragging him into a ditch.

"Who said you could start the fun without me?" Cyborg said smirking at the look of shock on Robins face.

"Cyborg? What about your power cell?" Robin asked concerned, now over the fact that Cyborg startled him when he pulled him into the ditch, which he was thankful for because Mumbo was now throwing small bombs by the handfuls towards them, laughing all the way through. Starfire and Raven were hidden behind two other trash piles throwing star-bots and black magic at Mumbo every chance they got with Mumbo dodging all of them, including Beastboy in his raptor form.

"Go home, get fixed, we can handle this without you," Robin ordered.

"I won't let you guys fight alone," Cyborg defended.

"And I won't let you put yourself in danger," Robin argued back.

"I got it covered, external battery pack," Cyborg said turning around to show four huge red batteries attached to his back. The cords wrapping around his arms, attaching around his chest, then he activated his sonic cannon.

"Teen Titans, Go!" Cyborg yelled charging at Mumbo, firing, slamming the blue man into a pile of trash, who screamed all the way. Mumbo stood brushing off his tux and pulling out colorful cloths all tied into a rope.

"Nothing up my sleeve, and Presto," Mumbo screamed as they tied themselves around Cyborg slamming him into the ground. Mumbo clapped his hands as Robin came down from the sky, preparing for a roundhouse kick, only he didn't make it.

"Need a hand?" Mumbo asked, sticking his arm up a pipe emerging on the other side, grabbing Robin by his cape suspending him in midair. He then was forced to dodge other hands as they attacked from different pipes.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven screamed. Her eyes glowing completely brilliant white as she launched three very big machines covered in black magic towards Mumbo, who simply changed the magic and turned them all into beautiful rose petals.

"You think that's good. Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat. Hocus Pocus!" He said aiming his hat and firing thousands of white stuffed bunnies at Raven, burying her in their cute fluffiness. Now she was mad. Beastboy was defeated by thousands of cards that slammed into him, ironically when he was the ram.

"For my next trick I'll require a lovely assistant," Mumbo said as he pulled out a long brown cane which grabbed Starfire around the waist and pulled her to the ground placing her in a suspended brown box. Mumbo pulled out a very long saw, placing it directly over the box's center.

"It's only fair to warn you, I have no idea what I'm doing," Mumbo said truthfully as Star struggled to free herself. Cyborg jumped in the way, tackling Mumbo to the ground, sliding a good distance away.

"I hate fighting dirty, shall we clean you up!" Mumbo rebuked his yellow flower shooting out water, throwing Cyborg off of him and into a giant dump truck. His battery pack broke off as it short circuited. Cyborg looked at it. His emergency alarm went off, he had five seconds left. He stood. He needed to call for help, raising one arm in panic, the battery failed. And Cyborg knew no more, he just stood there as Mumbo dumped the trash down a bin that had a rusted out hole at the bottom and Cyborg fell into it. Robin ran to the dump truck, they had to get to Cyborg, he was in that truck. But Mumbo drove away.

"Exit stage left," Mumbo yelled while he sped off.

Robin chased after him but stopped when he realized he wouldn't be able to catch up. He waited for the rest of his team.

"Titans, he's got Cyborg," With this they all raced after Mumbo. Leaving Cyborg in the dark hole, where unbeknownst to them he slept, as mechanical beings with red eyes carried him away.

* * *

 

Danny was getting tired. He had been sitting at the park drawing when he felt sleep beginning to weigh him down. Closing his sketchbook, Danny tried to stand, but his muscles were too tired. His body needed sleep, and it was going to get it, Danny sank back down onto the grass, his back pressed up into the tree. Strangely enough, it was comfortable or maybe his mind could no longer register how uncomfortable it was through its foggy haze. He felt his body shut down to sleep, as his conciseness tried to fight the tiredness, he needed to get home. If the dream came and he screamed, people would probably ask questions or think he was crazy, but the dream didn't come. And no one disturbed the raven haired boy sleeping under the tree, the warm wind ruffling his hair. For in his unwanted sleep Danny's face looked peaceful.

" _Sam, when you first realized your mistake you didn't say, 'Danny, do you remember me? I was the one who gave you your powers.' No, you told me you were my best friend. Of course then Desiree had to go and ghost up the place making me think you were really nuts by bringing up the whole ghost powers thing."_

" _I did also dress in pink," Sam stated shuttering at the idea, causing Danny to laugh._

" _Hey, you got my attention, but for both our sakes, I think you should stick to your normal wardrobe. And we can file that under the, never do again category," Danny said as Sam burst into chuckles when she finally caught her breath, she looked at him with remorseful amethyst eyes._

" _I'm sorry we had that fight."_

" _So am I. I never realized how different my life would be without you, Sam. And I'm glad that you wanted me to remember."_

* * *

 

System Online: Charging. Cyborg awoke to bright lights lying in a dark room that looked to be more of a cavern. He was confused.

"You are operational, that is good," a strange man said. Cyborg turning his head to look at him from the operation table he was on, cords strapped into his main power cell.

"Ugh, what's going…" he tried to ask.

"Rest friend, your new power cell is not fully charged," spoke the man, Cyborg grabbed one of the large round lights and directed it into the darkness, landing on many rows of robots of all shapes and sizes as they, in turn, stared at him with bright red eyes.

"Who are you?" Cyborg asked.

"I am called Fixit." Fixit replied as Cyborg muttered 'whoa' under his breath upon seeing all of the machines.

"You were broken. I have brought you here to be repaired," Fixit said the light finally falling on Fixit himself. He was tall, pale white and had a defined bone structure with ocean blue eyes rimmed in black designs, and in the center of his forehead a white blue circle with two identical lines running around his face. He wore black coils that started at his neck and ended at his shoulders, making his neck look longer than normal. Almost African in structure, underneath that was a simple deep blue robe that reached the floor, the long sleeves flowing past his hands in a bell shaped design. He looked lean, his voice was neither deep nor high, just… calm, and he flowed with unmoving ease, that was terrifying, yet calming all the same. He looked like the perfect robot.

"Where's here?" Cyborg asked looking up at man in confusion.

* * *

 

The Sun was high in the sky when the Titans finally caught the dump truck, but Cyborg wasn't inside.

"And his locater signal is being jammed," Robin said putting away his communicator in puzzlement.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would Mumbo want to kidnap Cyborg?" He asked, Beastboy spotted something and ran towards it.

"Guys, over here, I found something!" Beastboy called picking up Mumbo's hat.

"I wouldn't…" Robin said but it was too late, thousands of doves flew out of the hat covering them all in white feathers.

"Way to go," Raven said annoyed. They went back to searching.

* * *

 

"Charging is complete. The new power cell is functioning properly," Fixit noted scanning the power cell.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Lots better," Cyborg said stretching his arms in the air.

"Of course you are. I am Fixit, things come to me broken, I make repairs," Fixit said making his way over to a pile of broken machines selecting different parts. Standing up, Cyborg decided he should head home.

"Well thanks, for everything," Cyborg called making his way towards the door. Fixit stopped. The levitating pieces he was planning to use clattered to the floor. All the robots now looked at Cyborg.

"You cannot leave," Fixit said approaching Cyborg.

"I can't'?"

"You are not repaired, not fully."

"I'm not?"

"My examination revealed many flaws, serious flaws," Fixit gravely answered.

"Serious. How serious? What's wrong with me?" Cyborg asked panicking.

"There is no cause for alarm. More repairs are needed, more repairs will be made."

"But I feel fine. Are you sure I'm…"

"Quite. Will you remain? It is for the best," Fixit said turning back to the examination table.

"Well yeah, I guess. Let me just tell my friends where I am," With this Cyborg began to activate the communicator in his arm. He never noticed Fixit's eyes turn red along with the circle on his forehead, the two blue lines following suite.

"Whoa! Something really is wrong with me." Cyborg said for he couldn't place the call, turning to Fixit whose eyes were now ocean blue once more.

"Rest now. You may contact your friends later. I'm sure they're not too concerned," Fixit replied as Cyborg went to lie down on the table, a sense of dread filling his heart.

"Maybe they should be."

* * *

 

The Titans were having trouble. They couldn't seem to catch the 'amazingly' annoying Mumbo. Even when he was leaving an easy trail to follow. The Titans all stopped when they noticed a disappearing bus and a mail box spitting out rabbits as a woman floated by, suspended in three rings. And still, no sign of Cyborg.

"I'll say this much for Mumbo: he's an easy act to follow," Beastboy said trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I would commit myself to a life of muck shoveling in the filth mines of Cornacks, if Cyborg could only be returned safely," Starfire pleaded looking up to the sky.

"He was malfunctioning, he shouldn't have been helping," Raven said looking to Robin, but hiding her fear underneath her blue hood.

"I tried to stop him but he's Cyborg," Robin replied, at this Starfire sighed sadly.

"I wish the Phantom were here, he always knows how to help,"

"Well he's not, and we need to stop relying on him every time he shows up," Robin snapped, looking at the group seriously.

"Uh, whenever he shows up, it's usually to save our butts," Beastboy said reminding him.

"And getting hurt in the process," Raven added, at this worry now filled all of their hearts. Not only for Cyborg, but for Phantom as well. Were his burns even healed? Was he even still alive? The Titans were pulled from their worries when they heard Mumbo yell none too loudly.

"Mumbo Jumbo!" And running around the corner of the street stood Mumbo as two ATM's poured out all of their money onto the concrete. Once Mumbo noticed them he stopped laughing and bowed to them taking off his hat, "Sorry folks, no time of autographs." With this he sucked all of the money into his hat and ran off.

"Titans, get him!" Robin ordered as they split up running down different alley ways. Raven was chasing Mumbo from behind, they came to a brick wall Mumbo yelled.

"Open sesame!" And the bricks disappeared allowing him through, but closed when Raven got there. Mumbo ran down another alley, where he screamed when he saw Beastboy as a giant green bull. As BB charged, Mumbo pulled off his red cape and dangled it in front of him and right when BB got close, pulled it away to reveal a brick wall. Beastboy really should have seen that coming, but Mumbo laughed transforming his hat into a sombrero while saying 'o lay!" He took off running again. Starfire began attacking from the sky firing down star-bolts, but he countered throwing a bouquet of flowers which promptly exploded in her face. Mumbo was nearing the end of the alley way when Robin landed his bo staff ready for attack,

"Abracadabra!" He yelled Robin's staff turned into a cobra which the Titan dropped. Mumbo raced up the stairs. He was almost free, laughing at his soon to be clean get away.

* * *

 

"I don't get it? All my sensors say I'm fine," Cyborg said confused as he looked to Fixit standing in the shadows.

"Your sensors are incomplete, mine are more precise," Fixit answered floating over to where Cyborg was laying on the table with cords attached to his chest, arms and head.

"Guess I'm just getting kind of nervous. How long am I going to be down here anyway?" Cyborg asked.

"Repairs could take some time. Besides, why would you want to leave? Look around you, look at yourself, you belong with us," Fixit replied as a glowing red cord attached to his central processor located in the center of his forehead.

"No, I don't. I mean, you got a nice place here and you've been really cool to me, but I couldn't live down here. I don't know how you can?" Cyborg answered as mild confusion crossed Fixit's face.

"What do you mean? The power supply is adequate, replacement parts are easy to find," Fixit replied looking around his cavern.

"I need more than that. What about sunlight? What about fresh air? What about food?!" Cyborg said his voice bordering on panic.

"I do not require these things. And when repairs are complete neither will you," Fixit said and with this he floated away. The thing in his gut telling Cyborg to run was screaming at him now. He needed to leave, standing, he pulled out the cords connecting him to the cavern.

"You know what, I'm feeling alright now, so thanks anyway but I'm just gonna go," he said making his way towards the door and away from the man who was making his stomach do back flips of fear.

"Stay," Fixit ordered his eyes going red once more. This time making the robots attack, dragging Cy back to the lab table.

"Repairs are not yet complete. Your biological components are not perfect and must be replaced," Fixit said as a heavy metal door opened revealing new body armor and a mask that would cover the rest of his human face. Cyborg felt his heart jump into his throat, as fear consumed him while staring at his twin red eye. Fixit was going to make him a machine, Cyborg screamed.

"NO!" He fell into darkness, the red eye swallowing him whole.

* * *

 

" _I wouldn't have it any other way, Danny," Sam said leaning into him, pressing her head to his shoulder. Danny felt a bright red blush form across his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist._

" _So we're okay now?" He asked still afraid that Sam might still be blaming herself._

" _Yeah, we're okay," She breathed, sighing into his shoulder. It was then the two heard the snapping of a camera and turning they saw none other than their other best friend. With whom they were suddenly very mad at._

" _Tucker!" Both Sam and Danny yelled as he made a 'gah' noise while trying to make his escape._

* * *

 

Biological Components: Removed.

Repairs: Complete.

"Awaken friend. Awaken and see your new face," Fixit beckoned, Cyborg's twin red eyes opened to stare in a mirror, a mechanical being gazing back. Rage consumed him, he was human! He was HUMAN! Just like the little kid in the park, Cyborg wasn't part machine, he was a human as well. Cyborg screamed and shattered the mirror his now metal body falling into blackness.

"Aahhh !" Cyborg yelled waking from his nightmare, he breathed.

"Do not be afraid, you were dreaming. Sleep will not be necessary once repairs are complete," Fixit commented floating over to the mask to continue working on it.

"What if I don't want to be repaired? What if I like me this way?!" Cyborg screamed trying not to let his panic show as he struggled against his restraints.

"Such thoughts come from your imperfect biological components. They will be replaced momentarily," Fixit answered serenely.

"Not if I can help it," Cyborg growled, his fists tightening in the restraints.

* * *

 

Mumbo was almost there, a few more roof tops and he'd be scotch free. So busy throwing silly hexes at Starfire, Raven, and Beastboy, Mumbo never noticed Robin racing on top of another building until the magician had his wand snatched right out of his hand by him, and snapped in two. It gave a resounding crack and Mumbo screamed, all of his spells coming undone. The money reappearing along with the jewels, Mumbo crying while his hat shrunk down, and disappeared along with his tux and blue skin. Until all that remained was a Mumbo with grey hair, dressed as a magic shop owner, with brown pants and suspenders a white shirt underneath. No one paid attention to this. Robin was too angry, he wanted his friend back. Robin grabbed Mumbo by his suspenders and pulled him up, glaring.

"No more tricks. Where, is, Cyborg?" Robin growled menacingly.

"How should I know?" Mumbo stuttered.

"Where is he?" Robin screamed.

"You took him from the junkyard." Raven stated, trying to control her emotions.

"What have you done with him?" Starfire demanded.

"Nothing, honest! When you broke the wand you broke all my spells. Even if I had done something, it'd be over now. Poof! He'd be standing right here!" Mumbo explained raising his hands in surrender. Robin let him fall to the ground, looking to Beastboy who started speaking.

"If Cyborg's not with him then he's still at…"

"The Junkyard!" All of the Titans exclaimed. Not getting any of this, Mumbo smiled and proceeded to try and get himself out of trouble.

"So do I still have to go to jail?" Mumbo asked, he was met with four angry glares.

"I thought so," Mumbo said, well it was worth a try.

* * *

 

Cyborg was struggling to get loose. Fixit stopped working on the mask.

"I am ready. We will begin now."

"Perfect timing," Cyborg growled and with a burst of strength he broke through the restraints and made a dash for the door. But Fixit stopped him, his eyes turning red as he shut the steel cased door. Cyborg gasped and turned to face Fixit, he was running out of options.

"I didn't want to have to do this but…" Cy stopped speaking, he activated sonic cannon, only to have it shut down.

"Your defensive systems have been disabled for the procedure. They will be reactivated when repairs are complete," Fixit stated.

Frustrated, Cyborg ran towards him prepared to knock him out. But was stopped by the other robots which wrapped their coils around him, stopping him just short of reaching Fixit. Cyborg stretched his hand out and grasped the clock around Fixit and tore it away. Revealing a man who was completely robotic, his green organs surrounded by thousands of wires. Cyborg gasped in horror as he was dragged onto the table.

"The biological malfunctions are growing worse. We must begin at once," Fixit said replacing his deep blue robe.

* * *

 

Robin leaped down into the giant hole.

"His battery pack, he must have fallen down here," Robin said looking up at his team, before joining him in the darkness where the rays of sunlight could not reach.

"Star, can you give us some light?" Robin asked with this Starfire lit a star-bolt around her hand and they made their way deeper into the cave, calling out there best friend's name. They weren't sure how long they had been walking, when out of the darkness came hundreds of robots all with gleaming red eyes.

"Whoa, any of you guys seen a dude about this tall, with one red eye, and Titanium body armor?" Beastboy asked, it didn't help, the robots advanced.

"Teen Titans, Go!" Robin called with this they began to fight. While Star's attacks only lighting up the dark in brief flashes as they cut through the army to get to their friend.

Fixit was ready. He went over to retrieve the mask and brought it over to a still struggling Cyborg, his eyes widened in fear at its sight.

"Do not resist, it is for the best," Fixit said covering the rest of Cyborg's face in metal. His human eye just visible through the glow of the red eye covering it, showing a panicked look.

"No, it isn't. If you take out my biological components, you take out the best part of me, the part that makes me who I am!" Cyborg screamed.

"Your memories, your 'self' will be preserved," Fixit explained calmly as his eyes and forehead began to glow a bright red, "I will download them into your new brain," he said with this Fixit's central processor cord attached to Cyborg's forehead preparing for the download.

"No, you can't, please, you don't understand! Nooo!"

" _Oh, come on! Please don't kill me that was a picture perfect moment!!" Tucker screamed very girly as he dodged ecto- blasts from Danny and two boots plus some rocks that Sam found on the ground._

_Danny stopped at this, which in turn caused Sam to stop as well, giving him a questioning look. Suddenly Danny broke into a smile._

" _No, if it was a picture perfect moment I would be doing this…" Danny said as he grabbed Sam around the waist and pulled her into kiss. Sam quickly registering that it wasn't like the fake-out make-out kiss they'd done back in the lab. No this was real. And she loved it. Quickly melting into it as Tucker stood there, his mouth hanging in a giant 'o' shape. They resurfaced somewhere when both realized that they needed air, and meeting each other's eyes. Danny and Sam both sported perfectly matching blushes and smiling faces. They then turned to Tucker who was fist-pumping the air, whooping and hollering._

" _Yes! I finally did it, I got my two best friends to finally admit their love! I'm the best cupid ever! Wait, ah man, now I'm definitely a third wheel!" Tucker said grumbling as Danny and Sam made their way over to him, laughing at his antics, placing him in the middle of the group as they walked back home. Sam's arms around his waist, Danny's arms around his shoulders._

" _Don't worry Tucker, you're the best third wheel anyone could ask for," Sam said._

" _And think of it this way, tomorrow you'll get three hundred bucks for hooking us up before school let out," Danny happily quipped._

" _You're right, I won the bet. Sweet!" Tucker said his mind's eye swimming in cash._

" _Wait, what bet?" Sam asked confused, both boys let go of her. Shrinking back in fear as she yelled out again, "What Bet?!" they began running as Sam began chasing them barefoot all the way down the street._

The memories were too much: the sun, the breeze, the people, the food, and his friends. Eating, playing football, seeing their faces flashing across his mind Raven, Robin, Beastboy, Starfire, Danny, the kid with the wooden arm. Fixit screamed as he broke away from Cyborg, falling to the ground his eyes now ocean blue. Everything stopped working, the restraints holding Cyborg lifted, the mask came clattering to the ground, and the robots fighting the Titans shut down as their master no longer operated them. Cyborg stepped onto the ground, his legs giving out from shock. The red eye mask looking at him emptily. Fixit slowly rose into a sitting position looking down into his hands.

"Cyborg," Robin said placing a hand on his friend's shoulder breaking Cy away from the mask. He turned and saw his friends all standing around him.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked looking down at the mask.

"Yeah," he said getting to his feet.

"So beautiful. I had forgotten, how beautiful… the world through your eyes," Fixit whispered sadly his ocean blue eyes downcast.

"Through human eyes, the same kind you have," Cyborg answered kneeling down to the robotic man.

"Perhaps, I am the one in need of repairs," Fixit stated turning over his perfect white mechanical hand that looked perfectly human.

"And maybe I'm the guy who can help repair you," Cyborg said standing and holding out his human, mechanical hand. Fixit took it and together, he and the Teen Titans left the cavern for the sun. The first place they went was back to the park, where the sun was beginning to set, casting streaks of colors into the cloudless sky. The Titans couldn't help but smile at the look on Fixit's face as he felt the warmth of the rays on his skin. But as they continued to walk Cyborg's mood grew darker. Fixit wasn't a fighter. He couldn't stay at Titan's Tower, it would turn into nothing more than another cave. But if people always saw Fixit with the Titans they would assume he was a hero and begin attacking him. At the same time, Cyborg knew he couldn't leave Fixit out on his own. So what should he do?

"Friend, is it common for people to sleep under the sun?" Fixit asked pointing over to a person with black hair resting on the grass underneath a tree.

"Danny!" Cyborg yelled as the Titans and Fixit all ran over to the teen who appeared to not be moving. Robin bent down over his sleeping form and gently shook his shoulder. He didn't know that there was burned skin underneath his clothes. Danny snapped awake and shot into a sitting position gripping his shoulder painfully.

"What did you do that for? That hurt!!" He hissed out angrily.

"Friend, you were asleep under this tree, something bad could have happened to you!" Starfire said worried.

"Yeah man, when did you fall asleep?" Cyborg asked.

"I don't know…thirty minutes after you left, why?"

"Dude, that was nearly five hours ago!!" Cyborg yelled shocked as Danny gripped his head in pain from Cy using such a loud voice.

"Headache! Could you be any louder?" Danny asked as Cyborg quickly apologized. Danny's eyes fell immediately onto Fixit who fidgeted. It was his first time meeting another person.

"Who's your friend?" Danny asked slowly standing to avoid fainting. He really didn't want to go to a hospital.

"My name is Fixit. You are Danny?" Fixit asked trying to confirm that this was the name of the person the Titans had called out too.

"Yeah," Danny said his eyes slowly closing as he looked towards the sun. Cyborg then had an idea.

"Danny, could Fixit stay with you? After all, you have an extra guest room. I know this is a weird request but…"

"Sure," Danny replied not letting Cyborg finish. Danny then turned to Fixit.

"That is, if you want to. You won't hurt my feelings if you say no."

Before Fixit could even answer, Cyborg interrupted.

"Whoa, you don't even let me finish and you say yes! Are you mental?"

Danny huffed at this. "No, but he doesn't look like a fighter and knowing you idiots, you'd probably get him killed by accidentally falling on him in the middle of a training session or something silly like that," Danny replied all of the Titans blushed scarlet. Fixit couldn't help but smile at their flustered looks, this Danny kid sure knew how to get underneath their skin. Plus he liked to sleep under the sun so…

"May I stay with you?" Fixit asked all of the Titans getting a grip on their faces as Danny nodded.

"Sure, but be prepared, I own a book shop, so that means you'll have to put up with annoying customers and broken coffee machines," Danny explained as he and Fixit walked down the path leaving the Titans.

"I am Fixit. I'm sure I can handle fixing your problems," he stated and turning back around, Fixit gave a small bow to the Titans.

"Thank you, Cyborg. I wish to see you soon, friend."

"Yeah, same here. Have fun," Cyborg called rubbing the back of his neck. The Titans waited until both Danny and Fixit disappeared from sight before…

"Dude, the first time we meet Danny he nearly takes are heads off. But the instant he meets Fixit he's all 'sure we can be friends.' What the heck? What do we have to do to get that kid to like us?!" Beastboy yelled in exasperation. All of the Titans agreed.

"Hey Cyborg, can you do some digging into Danny's past? I'm curious to know who he is and what he's been through," Robin asked, Cyborg nodded as they made their way back to Titan's Tower.

* * *

 

Fixit was impressed. First by the store and now by Danny's house, it seemed so bright. As he continued to study the architecture, a question came to mind.

"Why do you like hexagons?" He asked.

"My parents used to use them a lot when they built things," Danny said hesitating to answer.

"That is not all though?" Fixit added.

"No, it means family, the hexagon. To me at least," Danny said staring up at the painting on his wall. His mind in a faraway place.

"Will you tell me about your family?" Fixit asked the look of pain did not go unmissed by Fixit's ocean eyes.

"No, I can't. I'm sorry, but there are some things I can't tell you or anyone. Please understand that," Danny answered his ice eyes showing a shattered soul. After a long pause, Fixit nodded. What happened to this kid? Danny sighed.

"Thanks. Look I'm going to bed, feel free to look around the store or in my library just please don't enter the black door, got it?" Danny asked.

"I understand. Have a nice night," Fixit said as he floated over to Danny's library and pulled out the first book on the shelf and sat down to read. Danny turned away and headed into his room, his eyes clouded over with fear.

"If only it were that simple," he whispered and with this he got ready for bed.

" _I love you, Danny." Sam whispered._

* * *

 

The Titans were at the park again, waiting for Fixit and Danny to arrive. Apparently, Danny was having trouble kicking customers out of the store. Fixit explained that over the phone as the Titans heard a loud crashing noise in the background, followed by some very colorful words issuing from Danny's mouth. Which none of the Titans explained when Starfire asked what Danny meant. As they were waiting, Cyborg was heading back to the group after retrieving the football when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Turning, Cyborg saw the same kid from yesterday dressed in the blue baseball shirt and hat running towards him, only this time he had a friend.

"See, I told you its Cyborg and look, he's just like me!" The little kid said to his friend excitedly holding up his prostatic arm.

"Whoa, cool!" The friend whispered in awe at the baseball kid and Cyborg.

"I am just like you. But it's not your arm that makes us the same. It's the stuff connected to it," He said pointing at the kid's heart. Both kids awed Cyborg as he stood.

"Now, go deep!" He yelled pointing to the other end of the park where both kids took off running preparing to catch the flying football.

" _I love you, Sam." Danny whispered back._

* * *

 

 

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 


	7. The Door to Nevermore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyborg, Beastboy and Fixit learn about the downsides to portals. Robin begins to investigate and Danny goes to save one robot sitting on Skulker Island.

**I'm nearing the edge...**

 

_"We desire nothing so much as what we ought not to have." - Publilius Syrus_  

Titans Phantom

Chapter 7: The Door to Nevermore

 

It was dark. The city was quiet. The only sound coming from a man standing over a broken security truck. Its contents glowing through the darkness from the giant melted hole in the armored doors side. The men, charged with driving the truck to the bank, were knocked out cold. Leaving only the criminal there to take the glittering gold.

He was about to grab the first bar when he heard a weapon being fired, sounding like the ringing of a bell. He knew that sound, he dodged the star-bolt flipping onto the top of the overturned vehicle where he now faced the Teen Titans. The man looked ridiculous. As if he'd just stepped out of a bad sci-fi movie. For he was dressed in a black spandex suit which had a giant light bulb on it, and his sliver wire belt was covered in small gold covered bulbs. His arms covered in sliver wrapped coils which held two small gold generators that allowed him to produce high grade electric light. But what was the most ridiculous thing out of his whole outfit… was the helmet. It was as if he couldn't decide between Star Trek or the Power Rangers, it also didn't help that he had a beard, which looked more or less like a stupid goatee, and that he had put on thick black eyeliner making him look like a crack addict.

So when Danny had seen him take down the truck, while giving a horrible monologue that could rival even one of Technus's speeches. Danny did what any normal person would do. He simply stepped inside an alley way and waited for the Titans. Okay, so not exactly normal. Everyone else had fled screaming like little girls. But if it allowed him to stay away from his home, and out of Fixit's keen eyes, he would take it.

Fixit had only been there two days and he was already getting too close. He'd asked about Danny's family, his store, and even his scar's after he found Danny removing the bandages in the kitchen because that's where he kept the scissors. At that, Danny now had a permanent set in his bathroom, so Fixit wouldn't wonder why he had long pink burn marks on his forearm that were rapidly turning white. Fixit knew all the questions. And he kept asking, reopening Danny's wounds and tearing at his heart. His breath caught in his throat.

Danny sank onto the concrete floor, his emotions searing through his body. The bricks digging into his back as he pressed up against the wall. He vaguely heard Dr. Light giving another speech on his magnificent powers, while shooting gold light at the Titans. Fire spread through Danny's legs. He bit his lip to contain the screams, for in these past two days, Danny hadn't slept more than a few hours at a time. For fear of himself screaming out in the night. So he forced himself to wake before the dream even began. And now he was paying for it. 

The Titans were still attacking and Dr. Light kept speaking on how light was better than everything. Danny slammed the back of his head into the brick wall to numb the fire...and the desire to shoot the crazy light bulb doctor. The doctor shot Robin in the chest sending him flying high into the air and onto the roof of a small building, it was then that Danny knew he needed to help. But his body screamed in protest as he shakily got to his feet, the fire spreading up his lower back, the dream flashing behind his eyes. Beastboy ran at Dr. Light transforming into a green snarling wolf.

"A wolf is no threat, when it's blind as a bat!" the doctor spoke heatedly, throwing thousands of tiny condensed light at BB who felt like he'd stepped through a rave machine. His head spinning and in the most unpleasant way. Starfire was caught easily in one of Light's traps, Danny felt his stomach tighten in fear, only two Titans left. He needed to help. They were about to be defeated by some half-ass villain, with Danny not ten feet from them!

"No," Danny growled out as he watched Cyborg get melted into the armor truck from a plasma attack. He forced the dream deep into his mind, burying it, until nothing was left except the dull ache and burn from his injured body. Summoning his strength, two blue rings formed around Danny, turning him into Phantom, leaving Fenton behind. As he opened his eyes he saw Raven hit the ground, Dr. Light standing over her menacingly.

"Bit of advice, find shorter magic words," Dr. Light said smugly preparing for another attack. His arms glowing a yellow brighter than the glittering bars spilling out of the truck. She threw a motorcycle at him, but he easily destroyed it. He aimed and fired directly at Raven's heart, her violet eyes went wide in surprise. She flinched from the coming attack her eyes closing, trying to control the fear and the soon to be pain. But the attack never made it. Instead it bounced off a swirling green barrier being held in place by Phantom. Raven stared at him in shock, gasping, for she could feel everything. She could feel him, his power, his existence, and his heart. He was in pain. Not from the crazy doctor who was yelling profanities at him, but from helping the Titans, from helping her. They were hurting him.

"Stop!" Raven screamed panic in her eyes as she regained her balance, placing a hand on Phantom's shoulders. Surprise registered on Phantom's face, his eyes meeting hers, and Raven felt a wave of tiredness wash over his very being. Leaving the Titan gasping for breath. How could Phantom survive all this pain? Raven's emotions swirled around her, and she felt the door slam open in her heart as she lost control of the thing she swore never to let out.

Still gazing at her, Phantom dropped the shield protecting them as he followed Raven's strange request. They hadn't been prepared for Dr. Light's next attack which sent Raven flying through the air and sending Phantom into a nearby building. As Raven hit the unforgiving ground she felt rage rise in her. How dare he harm them! That scum had no right to walk upon the very ground she did! Raven struggled to kill these thoughts, for they were not her own, she heard Dr. Light approaching. She needed to stop him, she needed to find Phantom to save his heart, the rage continued to grow.

"Don't come any closer," Raven warned.

"What's wrong, afraid of a little light?"

* * *

 

Danny hurt. This was his only feeling as he smashed through the bricks of some unknown building. Groaning, he pushed himself off of the ground trying to access how much damage he just took. Nothing was broken, his back hurt and his right leg ached from the still healing burn marks, but other than that he felt fine. Only he wasn't. Frustration overwhelmed him. Why had he listened to Raven? He was trying to save her, and instead, ended up getting thrown into a building. Stumbling through the bricks lying on the floor, Danny made his way to the newly formed exit, only then did the color drain from his face.

For floating a good ten feet off the ground was Raven. Her cloak billowing around, endless darkness emanating from her very being. She dragged a screaming Dr. Light closer to her, until she swallowed him whole, his pleas never reaching her merciless ears. A knife twisted in Danny's gut as he watched Raven smile a mirthless smile. Eyes completely blood red. Just like his had been. The instant that thought crossed his mind, Danny knew. That thing wasn't Raven. And he had to stop her. Ignoring the painful pull in his muscles Danny ran forward, why he didn't just fly, never crossed his mind, stopping near the edge of oblivion he stared up into Raven's horrid face.

"Raven, _stop!"_ Danny yelled hoarsely. Bleakly he noticed Robin running towards them the same look of panic on his face. Raven gasped, her eyes snapping back to gemstone violet, her face melting into a look of neutrality as she sank back to her normal size releasing the doctor from the darkness. Phantom's words had been like a bucket of ice water thrown in her face. He had been scared, not just for the now quivering doctor on the ground, but for her. Raven didn't have to meet Phantom's eyes to know what he was feeling, but she did anyway.

He looked beyond tired. His muscles were still tense and he was coated in a thick seen of dust and grim making his snow white hair a messy, older white, his eyes seemed unable to look away from Raven. Robin reached them, immediately bending down to the doctor whose armor was completely destroyed and smelled faintly of burnt metal, his eyes were wide and held a look of insanity. He never acknowledged Robin, or his look of concern. No, Dr. Light only continued to stare into space, his mind lost as he trembled before the group.

"So dark…make it stop…no light," he continued to sputter, no one paid attention to him. Robin looked up to see Raven and Phantom staring at each other as if the other person saw their darkest secrets. Phantom broke contact first. Blank eyes meeting Robin's, there was no emotion on his face as he extended a hand towards him. He let Phantom pull him up. Robin was about to give his thanks when Raven cut him off.

"Don't," was all she said, Phantom's eyes to snap to hers. A fire suddenly breaking free.

"I won't. And stay out of my heart. Or next time, I won't be so forgiving," Phantom said flatly, but his eyes told the two Titans that his threat was to be taken seriously. Finished, Phantom simply vanished. Not like the past when a swirl of green energy encompassed him. He simply disappeared, leaving a very confused Robin and a shocked Raven.

"What just happened?" Robin asked confused, with his eyes temporarily flitting down to the doctor, who was still in a fetal position mumbling about the darkness.

Raven stared into the darkness, eyes barely containing her shock. He had felt her presence the second he made eye contact with her. Pain stabbed at her heart. For when he realized that Raven could feel everything about him, Phantom's mind slammed shut. Burying all of the pain, fear, and death behind a stone wall. Making him disappear.

But it still didn't change what Raven learned before he shut her out. And that's what had her insides twisting into knots, fueling fire to the thing that wanted nothing more than to kill. He was gaining power, and Raven couldn't control him, not with her emotions so out of control. Raven shut down. She needed to get home and away from her friends, away from the memory of the spirit who was dead. Yet so filled with life it had eclipsed even the brightest of hearts. The team was approaching.

"Dude, Raven, what did you do?" Beastboy asked concerned for his friend. Not so much the annoying half crazed villain curled up on the ground. Beastboy was met with two snarling red eyes. He screamed, not even bothering to try and make it sound manly. His only reaction was to get away from Raven. Only she was already leaving, stalking away into the darkness. BB regained his senses and went over to stand by Cyborg, who was looking into the darkened alley way with fear and confusion for his friend.

"What's her deal?" Beastboy asked to no one in particular. Cyborg continued to stare into the night.

* * *

 

Danny was pissed. Raven had felt his emotions, the ones he so readily guarded. Sighing, Danny landed into the alley way behind his store becoming visible before letting his ghost side go. Allowing the steady thrum of his heart to beat beneath his chest. If only two sleepless nights weakened his control this much, then he was screwed. Danny thought, a scowl upon his face as he made his way to the front of the store, careful to avoid his still aching leg. He was never listening to Raven again. And Danny swore silently that he would never help the Titans again. After all, it's what she'd asked. _Damnit, the irony_. He thought as he pulled off his shoes and stepped onto the soft red carpet, locking the door behind him.

Fixit had already closed up. Although Danny couldn't fault him, it was well past midnight. _Crap, Fixit._ Danny completely forgot that he was originally trying to avoid the robot, and now Fixit knew he'd returned so Danny had to go downstairs and not just phase down into his room. Plus, it didn't help that his stomach decided to give a rather loud protest at the idea of skipping dinner. He let out a small growl as his feet padded down the stairs into his now shared apartment.

Fixit was seated in the living room. A book resting in his hands as he leisurely turned one of its slightly yellowed pages. Danny tried to ignore the blue eyes as he made his way towards the refrigerator. Pulling out some rice and chicken he'd eaten a couple nights ago, the cool gust of air reminding him of the Far Frozen Clan. Danny closed the door, a knife twisted in his gut at the memory of his friend. Plate in the microwave, Danny went to go join Fixit, who had never taken his eyes off of the raven haired teen.

"Sorry, got held up," Danny said trying to resist the urge to fidget in his seat.

"Normally you get home earlier, but leave periodically throughout the night. Did something happen to change this?" Fixit asked tilting his head like a curious puppy dog.

Damnit, so he had noticed that Danny had been leaving during the night for the past two days. Strangely though, Danny wasn't as worried as he normally would be. If anyone else had made that kind of statement, it was normally followed with looks of concern or disapproval. Fixit only held a look of acceptance and curiosity, nothing more. He only wanted to understand.

"Yeah, I got held up by some half-ass villain dressed as a light bulb robbing a bank truck," mumbled Danny getting up to scan for a possible book he wanted to read.

"If you are unharmed than that must mean that the Titans appeared to stop the light-bulbed villain," Fixit stated looking back down to his book. Danny couldn't help the humorless laugh that passed his lips. Or the way his eyes darkened as he grabbed a book from the shelf.

"Yeah, they showed up and played the game of heroes," Danny said his back facing Fixit as he peeked into the kitchen trying to see the microwave.

"You sound like you speak from experience. Is there such a strong burden on your heart that you simply cannot carry?" Fixit asked being very careful to leave his voice detached. He found it was the easiest way to get Danny to answer the questions burning inside his mind. Danny's entire body tensed as if he were about to be attacked, had his simple observation and question caused all of this? He watched as Danny turned to him, seating himself down onto the couch. Ice blue eyes careful to never meet Fixit's steady blue.

"Heh, something like that. Only I've never been a hero," Danny answered, but the hollowness to his voice told Fixit otherwise.

"You remind me of Hamlet," Fixit stated looking down to his book, which was opened to the infamous act three, scene three. Danny's eyes snapped up to Fixit's, irritation shining through them.

"Am not. I'm not some whiny idiot who couldn't just kill his father's brother for marrying his mom after Hamlet was plainly told 'Hamlet, Claudius killed your dear old dad to get the thrown and bang your mom.'" Danny huffed. This conversation was rapidly turning awkward. Fixit had the grace to blush, which surprised Danny, for he thought the robot didn't show such emotional displays.

"I forgot about that part," he said heatedly. "I was merely thinking over the fact that Hamlet seems to have been given a destiny that he cannot bear. And he is forever stuck to question himself and remain in indecision whether it be out of cowardliness or simply that he cannot kill. I do not know. But his burden. The task he is charged with, while I am sure is not related to you in any way. I can't help but feel that you too bear a burden. One that destiny has forced upon you, one in which you cannot bear. And it is slowly destroying you."

With this Fixit looked up to meet Danny's shocked eyes, his mouth parted slightly, his breaths coming in shallow gasps, his gaze never leaving Fixit but seemed to be in another place altogether. Fixit knew then that he had struck a powerful cord inside his friends' heart. But this realization came to a startling halt when the microwave went off, beeping shrilly in the air. Startling both Fixit and Danny, who seemed to come back to life and bolt out of his chair to retrieve his dinner. After grabbing a fork and a soda, Danny ate in silence, he finished and after cleaning up, left the kitchen for the living room to replace his book back on the shelf.

"I'm not Hamlet," Danny answered sternly. "And I certainly don't have a burden I can't bear, ah! Screw this, I'm going to bed." Flustered, Danny got as far as the pale archway when Fixit spoke again.

"The black door is not on the buildings schematics. Tell me, what is behind it?" Fixit asked, his monotone voice back full force and imploring. But his heart frantically beat under his chest, praying that his friend would answer.

"Nothing of importance. Night, Horatio," Danny said and with this he left for his room. Leaving Fixit sitting in the smooth black chair, the ornate door just a few feet away. His gaze traveled to the book, his mind drowning in thousands of questions. He gazed up at the door and then gracefully rose holding the book in hand.

"Good night, Hamlet," and with this he turned to knob.

* * *

 

Raven didn't sleep the entire night. She had been too focused on getting 'it' back into the door, but so far all her struggles had been in vain. So now she was tired and no matter what she tried to do, she couldn't get her mind off of Phantom's final words. He was done helping them, and that knowledge tore its way through Raven's heart. Leaving her open to the monster inside that laughed at her pain. She needed to relax and calm down.

So with this in mind, she headed down the hall for breakfast. The team was already up when the doors slid open to reveal the main room. Warm sunlight filtering through the windows, the smell of food filling the air, but for some reason it only smelled like tofu mixed with breakfast flavors. Apparently, Cyborg hadn't been too happy about that, as he was still complaining when Raven made her way down the stairs to the teapot resting on a burner, the smell of herbs puffing out in the smoke. She poured herself a small glass, letting her senses be taken away with the smoke, relieving the stress from her all night battle.

Beastboy approached Raven, a smile on his face as he offered her his home cooked tofu breakfast of eggs and bacon, which she declined. Raven didn't think her stomach could handle anything solid at the moment. But Beastboy kept on offering and even though he was only trying to be nice, Raven couldn't help the surge of emotions, her mind snapping back to Phantom. It was then she realized why her heart was jumping inside her chest, for the green changeling represented everything the Titans were. Innocent.

They were children, filled with hope and foolishness. And Phantom knew this, for he was everything they weren't. Raven felt her heart sink as she realized that she too was just as innocent as the rest of the Titans, despite her father. She understood nothing, and by asking Phantom to stop, by placing herself in the same position as him, she had twisted the knife in his heart. For he knew she was asking out of concern for him, not for a greater purpose. And he still listened. She didn't know why he listened, but that was why the Titans were hurting him. For Phantom, no matter what, would always help them. Only he wouldn't, not anymore, Raven had seen to that.

"C'mon just one little taste you could use a little food after the way you cooked Dr. Light," Beastboy said earnestly. He never noticed the slight trembling in Raven's hands as she fought the battle to kill.

"No!" Raven yelled lashing out at Beastboy. Her eyes blood red, her power blew up the breakfast right in his face. BB stood there confused and hurt as she stormed out of the room never once looking back. He was only trying to be nice.

"Maybe you should go apologize," Robin said suddenly appearing by Beastboy's side.

"Me? I'm not the one who just turned breakfast into a battle field!" BB replied indignantly, frustration on his face as he held the now empty skillet.

"Yeah, but after the weirdness that went down last night you should know better than to go messing with her," Cyborg said as he headed into the kitchen to go wash his plate. While Beastboy ranted his case to Cyborg, Robin's mind drifted away towards Phantom. What had he meant when he said he 'wouldn't,' what had Raven asked?

"At least she listens, I just kind of tune you out," Cyborg answered truthfully, his answer brought Robin back to the present and he looked to a now peeved Beastboy.

"Raven is complicated. There is much about her we are not meant to understand," Starfire said truthfully. After all, she was the one who spent the most time with her, you could only handle three guys for so long.

"Then how are we supposed to deal with her? How are we supposed to trust her?!" Beastboy fired back, he was met with only one statement.

"She's our friend. What more do we need to know?" Robin said. With this Beastboy left to go find Raven, he never saw the darkened look that crossed Robin's face.

Cyborg had finished up the dishes when he saw the look cross his friend's face.

"What's wrong?" Cy asked.

"While Raven is our friend, Beastboy's argument was sound, although it doesn't apply to her," he said, brows knitting together in frustration.

"What do you mean?" Star asked confused.

"I'm talking about Phantom. He's saved our lives countless times. So much so, that all of us have put our trust in him. But why should we? We don't even know who he is." And as he said this, the empty green gaze came back into his mind. Phantom's eyes were stone walls, capable enough to hide even the darkest of secrets, and yet Robin never remembered hesitating to take the outstretched hand. That sent a shiver up his spine.

"Phantom does not seem to be out to harm us," Starfire stated, she didn't understand why Robin was questioning Phantom. All he had done so far was help.

"Rob's got a point, Star. We don't know for sure if he's on our side, and if he isn't, well, you've seen how powerful he is," Cyborg said seriously although the words tasted bitter in his mouth. For he still shuddered at the decent tongue lashing he'd received when he temporarily quit the team, and the steel determination on Phantom's face to stop the Beast. How could he be evil?

"Cyborg, have you found any information on Danny?" Robin asked changing the subject, not only for their sake, but for his as well.

"Nah man, but I'll keep looking," with this Cyborg left. Leaving Robin alone with a still confused Starfire.

"Please, I do not understand why would Phantom help us only to hurt us later?" her voice ringing through the silence.

"I don't know, Star," Robin answered truthfully. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looking up he met two strong forest green eyes that left no room for doubt at what she believed.

"Phantom is someone we should trust," with this Starfire left, leaving Robin alone in the bright room.

* * *

 

Beastboy had made it to Raven's room, heart steadily beginning to race in his chest. The plain silver door did nothing to ease his growing nervousness. Quietly BB stepped closer, until he was only an arm's length away. He reached out and lightly knocked on the door.

"Oh well, nobody's home," and with this he turned to leave, but was met with the solid metal that was Cyborg. Who didn't look happy at all, as the little grass stain stepped back rubbing his head in pain.

"You might want to knock a little louder," he said spinning Beastboy around to face the door, nearly face planting him in it. Only Beastboy didn't knock, so Cyborg did, and after three rough taps the steel door fell down with a resounding clang, leaving both BB and Cy in states of utter horror as they looked down where it now lay.

"Now we both have to apologize," the shock not quite wearing off as BB stared at the small dust cloud forming around the door. _So much for doing what Robin wanted,_ Cyborg thought as Beastboy walked into the pitch black room.

The room held one window, the far wall painted black as swirls of purple the color of violet, flowed through it. Raven's bed was a deep purple, its circular form fitting easily into the design of Raven's hood that looked as if it were a raven encompassing everything their friend was. While her room was dark it held no oppression.

Everything was in order from the bookshelves, her dresser, to the theater masks sitting on a tall podium. Her room was lit with shadow lanterns hanging from the ceiling, incense filling the room in a calm scent, along with the pale yellow light, her room held the sense of thought. As if everything had meaning and a person needn't step inside to see the intricacies Raven took when she created her home. It was also why Cyborg didn't want to go in, everything in this room was about Raven. Everything she most likely didn't want them to know. It was exactly why Beastboy entered right away.

"Looks like Halloween came early this year," observed BB not bothering to notice the subtle designs that Cyborg could see plain as day.

"Were in Raven's room. We should _not_ be in Raven's room. She doesn't let anybody in here _ever_." and while Cyborg was panicking the whole time, he made sure to whisper out of fear of Raven's wrath. He practically tiptoed to Beastboy's side who quite frankly, looked unaffected by the knowledge that Raven was probably going to kill them.

"So, this is our big chance to find out more about her," he said waving Cyborg off as he made his way over to the deep burgundy dresser, where a hand carved mirror lay on top.

"For instance, check out this beauty mirror. Who would have thought Raven spends time sprucing? Ah! Is that a zit?" Beastboy yelled taking a closer look into the sliver mirror which no longer held his reflection, but four blood red eyes with murderous intent. He screamed, dropping the mirror back onto the dresser, trying to get away from the blood red claw that had appeared out of it, wrapping itself around him. Beastboy's struggles were pointless and every inch he got closer to the mirror.

"C'mon B, we really should get out of…huh?" the second Cy turned around he stopped his train of thought and ran over to his friend who was now half way submerged into the mirror, feet flaying in the air.

"Hey!" yelled Cy as he grabbed onto his friends purple boot and pulled with all his strength, but soon Beastboy and Cyborg found themselves falling into the mirror as it hit the soft grey carpet with a thud.

* * *

 

When Danny awoke for the fifth time, he finally decided it was time to get up, seeing as how it was now eight in the morning. Looking at the clock, Danny couldn't help but let out an exhausted sigh, no doubt this was going to result in another question from Fixit. Only when he left, Danny found his apartment strangely empty. This didn't worry him, for he assumed Fixit was probably upstairs either reading or battling the psychotic coffee maker. With this in mind, he grabbed a poptart from the pantry and headed upstairs to open the store. Only when he got there, Fixit was nowhere in sight. He wasn't on a couch and the coffee maker looked untouched.

"Fixit?" Danny called, ignoring the fear constricting his chest as he wandered through the shelves. It wasn't long before Danny broke into a run. Bounding up the stairs, jumping so that one foot momentarily landed on the carved railing, before he pushed off and landed on top of one of his bookshelves showing him the entire store to be empty. Dread swept through him. Fixit wasn't here. And the foreboding sense that he had never left and was 'there' took hold of his thoughts.

"Fixit!"

Danny didn't know when he'd started moving again. All he knew was that now he stood in front of the black door and wrenching it open he raced into his lab.

* * *

 

Fixit hadn't been sure what to expect when he opened the door, but this certainly wasn't it. He was in a lab, tables filled with beakers and lining the walls were different machines scattered about, and at the far back wall stood a steel door. It was closed, the yellow and black lines warning people to stay away, but Fixit wasn't like other people.

Quietly, he floated across the white tile floor his blue cloak not even stirring dust. Once across he turned to observe the room, it was spacious and another hallway branched off, making Fixit curious as to where it led, but right now the steel door held all of his attention. It was a good eight feet tall and was reinforced with heavy bolts. Again Fixit noticed that it was in the shape of a hexagon.

Danny did say that his parents were inventors. _Was this their lab? But why was it in Danny's house and not his parents'?_ Fixit scanned the area and somehow he got the feeling that this place didn't belong to his parents. After all, when Fixit had asked Danny about them he received the impression that they had long since passed away. And looking at the clean, bright, empty lab, only seemed to reinforce that Danny was truly alone.

Fixit let his eyes close in grief, for somewhere deep in his heart he had been holding onto the hope that they were alive, but now…a sigh escaped his lips, as the blue eyes opened once more to gaze at the barred off door. He wanted to open this as well, and so Fixit set his book down on a nearby table that held a metal belt that looked like it locked around its wearer. Although why, Fixit had no idea.

He disregarded the belt and looked to the key lock next to the door. Filters and strange knobs all giving off important readings on what the door was and how to maintain it. Fixit diligently began typing away his eyes going red, hacking into the mainframe until with a click, the doors opened revealing a swirling green energy as the smoke cleared. Fixit stood there in awe. For this wasn't just a door, it was a portal, although to where Fixit had no idea.

Thousands of new questions raced through his mind while his eyes gazed at the strange portal. Casting him in a green aura, a striking contrast to his ocean blue eyes. Fixit had two choices: one, close the door and walk away, to never bring up what he saw, unless Danny was ready for it. Or two, enter into the portal to gather the answers he so readily wanted to understand, so as to ease his friend's pain. Either way, both choices held great consequences and equal benefits. And with one last look at the book sitting on the sliver counter top, the choice was easy to make. Steeling his resolve, Fixit stepped through the green energy, the portal closing once he did.

* * *

 

The swirling red vortex seemed to go on forever until, to BB's surprise, it opened dropping them on a hard jagged rock, Cyborg landing on top of him. Shakily they stood and watched as the red swirling portal closed leaving them standing on the floating rock.

"Ah, man," Cyborg said as he took in where they had been sent. The place held no light. Only darkness surrounded by red stars, the rocks were floating as if they didn't belong to gravity. All of the plant life was dead, the place seemed to go on forever and yet, the noise they made never carried, as if they were in a dampened room.

"I told you we never should have gone in Raven's room!" BB shouted, although Cyborg didn't get mad seeing as how it was BB's fear mechanism.

"Where are we?" Beastboy asked trying to calm down, pacing the perimeter of the rock they were stuck on while Cyborg tapped into his sensors.

"You're asking the wrong robot. My sensors must be on the blink 'cause they're saying we're in Titan's Tower."

" _Right_... So how do we get back?" He asked coming over to stand by Cyborg.

"Guess we start walking," Cyborg said.

"C'mon, I'm serious we're on a rock in the middle of…"

Beastboy never got to finish as a loud rumbling interrupted him. Rocks forming together to create a long narrow path in the black space.

"Oh…" BB said his head swimming in confusion.

"If sending us to weirds-ville is Raven's idea of a joke, I am _so_ not laughing," BB added as he and Cyborg made their way down the long path. They never noticed the raven sitting on the log of a dead tree. His four red eyes watching their every move.

"Hey, she didn't send us here. You're the one who went snooping in her room and popping zits in her magic mirror!" Came Cy's frustrated reply as he made sure not to fall off the path while glaring down at Beastboy.

"Who booby traps a mirror?" He replied indignantly.

"Maybe it wasn't a trap. Maybe it's Raven's way home, maybe this is where she's from," Cy said his voice tapering off as he looked to a giant red star that seemed to once have been a sun.

"definitely creepy enough," agreed BB.

" _Turn Back,"_ a melodious voice sang through the darkness, causing Cy and BB to jump in fear. Both searching for the voice.

"Like I was saying…" BB tried to say when the voice became three and looking up, they saw three small baby birds with big red eyes as they spoke in harmonious voices sitting on a stone archway.

" _Turn back, turn back, turn back,"_ they kept singing over and over.

"Sweet. Bet'cha they can tell us how to get home," Beastboy said happily, approaching the dead tree they were now sitting on.

"Careful, how do we know they're not a threat?" Cyborg asked as his friend turned to look at him, a confident smile on his face.

"Hello? Remember me, Beastboy, if they were dangerous I'd know."

 That earned him an eye roll from Cyborg. BB turned to speak to the little birds.

"Hey little guys, my buddy and I were wondering if…" the archway was empty. The little birds all on the rocks below looking up at Beastboy as more of them joined in the same song. Their wide eyes turned into four, and they let out monstrous roars, their beaks now holding sharp serrated teeth. Beastboy ran for his life as Cyborg hit the ground to avoid the now viscous birds trying to dive bomb him.

* * *

 

Danny spotted it right away. The only out of place object in his organized lab. The book. The same one Fixit had been reading last night. Danny's heart lurched in his chest, hammering to the song of panic.

"Fixit?" vainly he called out even though Danny knew Fixit wasn't here either. No, he had gone into the Ghost Zone. Walking up to the computer Danny hoped that maybe Fixit had set it to its last coordinates and that he was only in Clockwork's Tower chatting up the Ghost of Time, who no doubt would get along great with Fixit. But he hadn't, no, Fixit merely opened the portal and stepped through, to God knows where, and if Danny went through to retrieve him and got caught…the treaty would be null and void and everything would come crashing down, and his life would be thoroughly screwed.

 Not that this mattered to Danny at the moment, as he tried to control the panic and irritation at Fixit for going into his lab…and for being smart enough to hack into his computer system. _Stupid overly smart robot,_ Danny thought as he prepped the portal to open, while he grabbed a small device he had modeled after his parents design to detect real world items. Praying that his friend was somewhere his enemies weren't. The portal opened, two blue rings turned Danny into Phantom, and as he approached the door, he held his breath and prayed that no one was on the other side to see him as he flew into the portal to search for Fixit.

* * *

 

Beastboy and Cyborg weren't sure how long they'd been dodging the evil birds. While screaming like little girls. All they were doing now was trying not to get pecked to death which was why Cyborg was riding on top of a green lama, firing off his sonic cannon at the red eyed fiends. Although him and BB didn't exactly pay attention to the fact that they were on a narrow stone bridge floating in space, which Cyborg promptly shot when some birds tried to get Beastboy's feet. The distinct noise of cracking rock filled the air as BB and Cy stood there in shock and the rock gave out beneath their feet.

"Ahhh!" Cy yelled as he gripped BB by the neck with one hand. The other holding onto the cliff to stop them from falling into the black void.

"Hey guys!" Raven called, Cyborg turned his head to see Ravens feet as she looked down at her friends' struggles.

"What's up?" smiling, while trying not to laugh at the crazy look Cyborg was giving her.

"I don't know any more…" Cy said his voice high pitched and seriously freaked out when he felt gravity shift, and looking at the rocks he came crashing down. BB right on top of him, Raven laughing the whole time. Neither boy managed to wipe the _oh-god-what-is-happening,_ look off of their faces.

"Raven! How did? Where are? What just…why are you wearing _Pink_?" BB managed to finally get out, his voice appalled that the Titan girl would even wear such a color. Raven laughed once more at her friend's silliness and looking to him, her violet eyes shined in merriment.

"Cause it's my favorite color." Speaking like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It is?" Beastboy asked feeling like all notions of reality were suddenly false…Raven liked… _Pink_?!

"Look, I'd love to talk fashion, but I don't suppose you know how to get home?" Cyborg asked although seeing Raven in pink wasn't as strange as gravity deciding to flip flop. Or being attacked by black birds just like the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. No, defiantly not as weird, but seeing Raven so happy…that was another issue entirely.

"The forbidden door. But you don't want to go there, not now," she said, her mood not changing in the slightest. Beastboy and Cyborg looked at each other for one moment before both teens looked back at their friend.

"Uh, yeah we do," they said to Raven like she was crazy.

"Kay! But don't say I didn't warn ya!" and turning around, Raven ran towards the stone arch that's design looked similar to that of her now pink hood, making airplane noises, her arms spread wide like a child. Leaving Cyborg and BB shell shocked.

"Have you ever seen her... this happy?" Cy asked.

"Dude, I didn't even know Raven could _do_ happy," BB replied as they walked underneath the archway, disappearing into another part of the strange world. And stepping through the door, was like walking into the polar opposite of where they had been. For the sky was lemon drop yellow, and the mountains and grass were bubble gum pink.

"Now where are we?!" yelled Cyborg as he looked at the purple stone path, a strawberry floating past him. His eyes were just as wide as BB's, this day kept getting weirder and weirder.

"I think this might be where air fresheners come from," BB replied both looked to Raven in her pink cape as she busted out laughing. This dwarfed even the happy go lucky atmosphere that surrounded them.

"You're laughing…" Cy tried to say.

"At one of _my_ jokes?!" BB finished, this only caused Raven to laugh harder as she looked to her friends.

"Sure, I've always thought you were funny BB. But hey, looks aren't everything!" Laughing at her joke Raven walked off, Cy and BB exchanging looks before following her to the next stone archway.

* * *

 

Raven had been meditating on the roof when Starfire and Robin found her, concern in their eyes.

"Raven, you okay? We stopped by your room and the doors been knocked down," Robin said as her violet eyes opened and laughter burst through her lips. Startling not only the two Titans, but Raven as well, who had been trying to get her emotions under control in order to close the door.

"I need to be alone," she said standing and quickly making her way back to the room. Her hood hiding her face. Star and Robin simply stood there in shock.

"Many of your earthly ways are still strange to me but that was, just plain freaky …correct?" She asked. Star's gaze turning to Robin who looked concerned and thoughtful. Silently, he nodded, the two heading for the door, Robin's mind racing. For Raven hadn't started acting this weird since last night, but as he thought of this, it started before that. When all of them met Danny, heck, even Starfire had been changed by the raven haired teen. Robin stopped in the corridor, Starfire giving him a questioning look.

"I'll catch up. I need to do some research," he said and with this he headed off for his room not waiting for her reply. He needed to know who Danny was and he couldn't wait for Cyborg to find something when he needed to know now.

Raven entered her room before her hand glowed a brilliant black. The door shinning in the same energy, as she lifted it up to reattach it to its hinges. Silently, she walked around her room, nothing appeared to have been disturbed until she came to the mirror lying on the floor, and Raven knew. Her heart went into double time, she had been so focused on fighting 'it' she hadn't been paying attention to…Damnit she was going to kill Cyborg and Beastboy! But in that moment the only word that passed her lips was "no" as Raven gazed down in fear to the hand carved mirror. Its blood red gem glittering in the faint light.

* * *

 

Fixit hadn't been sure what to expect on the other side, but this wasn't it. For where he was seemed to go on forever, the sky was a deep forest green, purple and green clouds swirling all around him, as if they were liquid. It was then he looked down and realized that he wasn't standing on ground but air. Only it wasn't air. It felt solid and when Fixit realized that he wasn't going to fall, he looked up again and was hit by the reality of where he was. For the place held no boundaries, no rules of nature, it felt alive and dead all at the same time.

This was the place Danny's portal had sent him. Fear suddenly took hold in Fixit's heart and looking back, he was met with only endless sky. The swirling portal energy had long since closed. Fixit wasn't sure how long he stood there floating in the liquid sky, but eventually once his heart settled he began to move. He needed to see if there were other people who could help him get back…mainly because he seriously needed to talk to Danny about having portals in his basement that took you to where, well, wherever here was.

Still, as he moved through the sky the air felt cool against his face. Its liquid form brushing across him and vaguely he wondered if this is what it felt like to be submerged under water. To have the green energy flow across him in waves flowing out in rings and collapsing into his back as he continued further into the unknown territory. While the feeling was not unpleasant, Fixit knew that soon he would tire. For while there appeared to be no gravity, the heavy liquid air seemed to be the thing keeping him afloat. Thus proving difficult to move through, he wondered how long Danny would be able to last if he were here. And then he felt fear.

For what if Danny had never entered the portal? He banished this thought instantly for he didn't need to start hyperventilating. As he floated through the air he began to notice what appeared to be a floating mountain covered in trees and rocks. Fixit decided it was worth a shot. After all, the strange purple sun seemed to be slowly moving downwards and he figured that in earth time it was probably nearing lunch. Not that it mattered he didn't require food, but it meant that by now Danny would hopefully be searching for him. He was nearing the mountain top. Fixit never noticed the white stone was carved out in the shape of a skull.

* * *

 

"She ditched us! I can't believe Raven ditched us! Next time I see her it's not going to be pretty!"BB said frustrated as he and Cyborg made their way to the top of the purple mountain where a stone archway stood. Black birds with four red eyes sitting perched on the trees never moving, watching the two teens step underneath the stone, emerging back into the black world with red stars. They were beyond freaked out. The happy place seeming a lot better than this dark abyss.

"Hey, I know where we are! We're in that place where I didn't know we were before!" Cyborg yelled not bothering to hide his panic and confusion. Both promptly screamed when Raven appeared before them. Emerging from the ground dressed in a pale gray cloak, her hood down allowing them to see her violet hair and sad mournful eyes. Beastboy's aggravation got the better of him.

"Where were you? Shopping for robes?!" tears formed in Raven's eyes as she backed away from a now worried Beastboy.

"Whoa, easy, I didn't mean it." He said trying to comfort her as she avoided his eyes. Cyborg cut through his apology.

"Hey! That's the forbidden door right, Raven?" He asked pointing to a faraway arch connected to a massive barren wasteland. Raven meekly nodded as BB watched her. His eyes still filled with concern. Cyborg didn't see her plight.

"C'mon ya'll,we're almost…ahhhh!!" he cried out as massive stone walls appeared, twisting and turning, ending and beginning. It was a maze. And BB tried to see the end of it flying high in the sky as a green crow, only to be shot down by magical electricity. Crashing back down to the ground rubbing his head, Cyborg activated his sonic cannon.

"Ah man, we gotta get out of here!!" He yelled firing at the walls which remained undamaged. Raven all the while cowering in the corner until he finished.

"It's a maze. You can't get out, you have to go through. I can show you the way. But when we reach the end, you won't like me anymore. He already doesn't like me," she said gesturing over to BB who looked at her hoping that she really didn't believe that.

"C'mon, that's not true," he said and he really believed that, but Raven had already walked around the corner leaving a now ticked off Beastboy and a confused and worried Cyborg.

"Gee, Raven, moody much," BB said trying to hide his concern.

"Yeah, she's like a whole different person," Cyborg noted as he rubbed the back of his neck in confusion.

* * *

 

Danny had searched the entire upper half of the Ghost Zone nearer the friendlier ghosts. But now, he was drawing closer to where his parents' old portal used to be, and closer to his enemies. He ignored the urge to turn back around. Instead, choosing to hide behind the floating doors and the occasional small island as his ghost sense began detecting more and more ghosts. But his heart dropped into the bottomless sky as his detector went off near Skulker Island, indicating a rather large Real World item.

"Shit, how am I supposed to get him out of there?" Flying around the perimeter, careful to avoid the sensors that were hidden underneath the rocks, Danny spotted Fixit sitting on a rock not twenty feet away in an open field, oblivious to the danger. This was going to be tricky.

* * *

 

"And remember the time I called you both immature pinheads, I'm sorry for that too. And also…" Raven apologized as she rounded another corner in the maze with two very exasperated Titans trailing behind her.

"For the hundredth, millionth time…" Beastboy said, Cyborg sighing in frustration,

_"_ _We forgive you!"_ They both yelled trying to get Raven to just understand, and shut up. But she merely continued to stare at them. A lost look in her eyes. She opened the door so they could exit the maze revealing two stone statues with four red eyes on each side, one's face happy, the other face sad, each with only one arm and beyond them the final door that would lead home.

"That's the end," she said dread filling her voice, neither teen noticed.

"Sweet!"

"Alright Raven!" Cyborg said as he and Beastboy made their way forward. The statues came to life, slamming together creating one being. A face on either side, twin swords appearing in their hands as the eyes smiled maliciously at them.

"What?" Both Titans screamed. They thought that kind of stuff only happened in movies.

"No way." BB said as they looked to Raven who was cowering in a corner, looking at both of them with fear in her eyes.

"Told you, you wouldn't like me when we got here," was all she said, disappearing into the wall. The statue began to advance on them.

* * *

 

Robin was pouring through thousands of city files, searching for anything about this kid. Nothing was turning up, no paper, no birth certificate, nothing. Everything was classified as confidential to protect his citizenship, but that only served to annoy Robin. Stupid red tape.

Finally, with nothing to go on, Robin did the only rule bending thing he could think of. Hack into the building department of Jump City, sifting through the online documents until he found what he was looking for: Danny's store ownership. Robin couldn't hold back the surprised gasp, this kid was adopted by Vlad Masters?! He was almost as rich as Bruce! As Robin continued to read the document, he was disappointed to find that Danny's legal name was not printed on the copy, which only made Robin more suspicious. Why did Danny even own a bookstore in the first place? So intent was he on digging up clues, he never noticed the door opening as Starfire entered, concern on her face.

"May we go see if she is feeling better?" Star asked, Robin jumped in the air, turning to see Star. Once he was sure his heart was back in the right place, he answered.

"She said she wanted to be alone," with this he turned back to the screen. Star began to pace the room. _Just who are you Danny?_ Robin thought as he gazed at the document on the big screen.

* * *

 

The statue was advancing towards them and nothing seemed to be working, Cyborg's sonic cannon had no effect. All he could do was dodge the flying swords as Beastboy went after the thing's eyes to no avail. He was caught by the 'sad' faces arms its 'happy' face turned towards the now normal Beastboy being held in its grip. He was going to enjoy crushing him.

"Yo, eight eyes!!! Hi Yay!!" a green cloak girl screamed as she came flying through the air, her foot connecting to the statues heads sending it to the ground, the girl standing straight in pride, knocking BB out of its grip.

"Woo hoo! In your faces!!' Raven screamed, her dark green cape billowing around her. She was strong and confident. Effortlessly dodging the swords, creeping towards the statue, but staying out of striking distance waiting for the perfect moment. The stature opened its long arms and Raven knew it was time. Leaping into the air, she struck the statue from the top its head with two fingers, dragging them down splitting the thing cleanly in half. It parted like the red sea and Raven stood, throwing her fist up in victory. While Cyborg and Beastboy stood there looking like they were having whiplash from how many times Raven's personality seemed to change, as well as her clothes.

"Yeah! High fives, c'mon!" Beastboy's mouth hanging in a giant 'o' shape at Raven's cocky voice, he was losing his mind.

"What is your deal? First you nuke breakfast, then finally laugh at my jokes, then you're all weepy, and now you're a marine? Make up your mind! Who are you?!" He yelled at a now ticked off marine green Raven. With this, the other two Ravens appeared, one in bubble gum pink. A smile on her face. The other Raven a timid look in her eyes her grey cloak hiding her body. And the green Raven simply looked ticked.

_"_ _I'm Raven,"_ all three stated, now BB and Cy felt like a nuke had just been thrown at them. But with all of these emotions swirling around they never noticed the black birds congregating on the blackened trees. Their eyes glowing blood red, watching the teens below figure out what was going on.

* * *

 

Danny had disabled the sensors near Fixit and currently was setting a trap on the far side of the island. Praying that Fixit hadn't moved from his spot otherwise they were screwed. Finished, Danny lit the small fuse he'd attached to a motion sensor and flew as fast as he could back towards Fixit. Relief flooded him. _Good, he hasn't moved._ Danny tensed and waited for the loud boom that came shortly in the distance, stirring the trees and rocks and a ghost he knew was certainly prowling the area. Danny shot out from underneath the rocks flying straight for Fixit who had risen to his feet in alarm. Danny stopped just short of plowing into him in his eagerness to leave.

"C'mon, we have to go, it isn't safe!" he said grabbing Fixit by his long bell robe sleeve and pulling on his wrist. Fixit stayed firmly in place.

"I do not know you. Why should I trust what you say for you are the first person I have met," Danny felt annoyed at this. Leave it to Fixit to state the obvious. Damn, if they didn't hurry Skulker would show up realizing that the blast was only a distraction.

"Damnit, would you trust me!" He snapped, giving a sharp tug his glowing green eyes flashing in annoyance. He managed to drag Fixit closer to the edge, but in the moment their eyes met Fixit's eyes widened in surprise, his breath catching.

_"_ _Danny?"_ while it came out as a statement to Fixit, it was really a question. Until the unearthly being tensed and met his eyes, something akin to fear, astonishment and pride passing too quick for Fixit to accurately pin down. Fixit wasn't a hundred percent sure, but he knew this was Danny. Although everything was wrong, except the eyes. The green eyes couldn't fool him, for they held Danny's wisdom and right now, fear.

"Yes, now _please_ we have to go!" and with this Fixit let himself be dragged into the sky. The liquid atmosphere seeming easier to move through now that Danny surrounded him in his white aura. The water seemed to react naturally to the strange energy encompassing them. It continuously kept flowing outwards, never returning to Danny or Fixit as they made their escape. Neither noticed the black shadow hiding behind a floating door. It had seen everything. A smirk plastering on the thing's lips as it made its way back to the master, whose eyes lit up in happiness as he and his shadow began to speed off towards the prison to alert the warden of Danny Phantom's return.

* * *

 

Beastboy was thunderstruck. There were three Ravens. He needed to lie down, but Cyborg's brain was already processing the information and came to the conclusion BB never would have considered, well until he said it.

"Happy, timid, brave," he said as pink Raven walked over to Beastboy who was recovering from the shock.

"You forgot dopey," she giggled while choosing to ignore BB's flustered look.

"Different sides of Raven's personality. We're not in Raven's home…" Cy said seriously, BB catching on.

"We're in her head," BB finished.

"And I want you out," Raven said dropping out from the sky. The three emotions disappearing as she walked forward. Her blue hood just barely hiding her anger and annoyance at her friends.

"That mirror you found is for meditation. It's a portal into my Mind! _Not a toy!"_ practically growling the last part out, directing it at Beastboy, who she knew was the one who activated the mirror. He laughed nervously apologizing to Raven. The red eyed birds were done observing. All of them taking flight to the now red sky, making all three Titans stare up, realization dawning on Raven's face. It was coming.

"You have to go, now."

"Hold up, what's going on here?" Cy asked Raven turning to meet his gaze.

"Last night, something got loose, something bad," she said her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh no you don't. I’ve had it with this mystery girl routine. I want to know exactly what we're talking about here!" Beastboy said upset. Raven merely looked like she wanted to punch him, until a roar broke through the silence as the ravens converged. A demon with red skin and white hair, with four hell born eyes emerged out of them, towering over even the tallest skyscraper as he yelled into the sky.

"Hatred shall Rule!"

"Let's just say… I have issues with my father," was all Raven could say as she, Beastboy and Cyborg backed away from the demon with horses hoofs for legs.

* * *

 

Fixit was silent as he let Danny pull him through the sky. He was still trying to process what he learned. This was Danny. This, person with white hair and black jumpsuit was his friend. Although he had similarities, Fixit wouldn't have been able to figure it out. For the white haired teen seemed so different. He was tense, and every fiber of him radiated power, even his voice echoed in his throat. But his eyes, they were the only thing that remained the same. For they looked like they had the night before, was this the burden he was carrying? Fixit never got to ask for suddenly there came a loud roar. Danny diving out of the sky as hundreds of beings dressed in police wear surrounded them, firing green energy at them .

"Crap!" Danny yelled as he grabbed hold of Fixit's shoulders and pulled him closer. A green barrier surrounding them both. Fixit's heart raced as he watched thousands of blasts hit the barrier and bounce off. He began to worry  if Danny would tire, but looking over he was met with a steel gaze looking past all of the weapons searching for someone. Fixit found his breath was evening out, for whatever was happening, he could tell it wouldn't hurt his friend.

_"_ _Enough!"_ Danny yelled, Fixit winching as the teens voice reverberated through the air. Everything stopped, but Danny didn't lower the shield. Silently, Fixit turned his head back to the creatures floating high in the air, all looking at them with hate and fear. He gasped, they didn't look human. Their skin was a sick green, all of their eyes blood red, they didn't even have feet, only tails. The only thought that crossed his mind was death. These things were dead. It was then, that Fixit felt it. The endless cold that had seeped under his skin, sending chills up his spine. Danny held no warmth, he was just like them. A ghost. Ghosts, these dead things were ghosts.

"What is going on? Danny, why are you dead?" he asked trying to make his voice strong, but it only came out a whisper. Danny never moved, but he felt the hand on his shoulder tense.

"Danny," Fixit tried, he wanted answers!

"Not now," came the stern reply, it was layered with stress and Fixit didn't need to think of a reason why. But still, he found himself wanting to know. His thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as an eight foot tall man dressed as a jailer walked forward. His green eyes smiling, his skeleton face pulled back into a smirk.

"Well, what do we have here, a ghost punk and unauthorized personnel, that's against the rules. But you even being here is against the rules, isn't that right _halfa,"_ The man dressed in white spat, sneering down at Fixit and Danny.

"It was an accident. My friend just wandered into the portal, the treaty is still intact Walker. I'll just take him and leave," Fixit couldn't help the bats in his stomach as he took in what Danny was saying. What treaty? What was a halfa? Not to mention the guilt that filled him for Danny had apparently broken said unknown treaty to come and save his ass. Fixit's heart fell when the skeleton ghost burst out laughing.

"No can do punk, you broke the rules and by the law, it's time I made your life a living hell again. Guards, arrest Danny Phantom! Oh, and his friend as well!" Fixit watched in horror as the ghosts in police uniforms all pulled out a separate weapon, one that looked like a stun gun and fired. The energy was pure white and when it hit the barrier, Danny screamed out in pain and they both were thrown back a good ten feet. Over the deafening ringing in his ears, Fixit heard the man named Walker laugh and say something inaudible. But as he turned his head towards Danny, he knew what Walker had said. That the barrier protecting them wouldn't last. Out of the corner of his ocean blue eyes he saw the guards' fire once more.

* * *

 

Her father was gaining on them. As they ran to the last portal, her father attacked, his four eyes shooting hell's fire at them. She had to save her friends! Raven watched as the attack missed Cyborg and Beastboy by two feet. The blast sending them flying back hitting the ground, hard. She flew to their sides anger burning in her eyes as she looked towards her father.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A black barrier formed from her hands, shielding Cyborg and Beastboy as her father fired again. The barrier protecting them as well as the stone carved door. Raven grunted in pain, it wouldn't be long now till he broke through her magic, and when he did, her friends would die. Her mind screamed in panic as sweat beaded her brow…she needed to think of something, fast.

* * *

 

Robin was still staring at the screen. He couldn't find anything on Danny! Frustrated, he slammed his hands down onto the table, taking this as her cue she approached Robin.

"May we now see if Raven is better?" Starfire asked.

"She wanted to be alone," Robin said ignoring her annoyed and crest fallen face. Man, where was Cyborg? Hopefully he was having more luck than he was. Wait, didn't Raven say he graduated high school at the age of fifteen? They normally posted those kinds of things in the papers. Renewed Robin continued his search.

* * *

 

Raven's eyes were complete white. Her hands swirling in black magic as she felt the heat pouring out of the demons attack, time was running out.

"Get out of my mind, now!" She begged looking at her friends. The forbidden door had finally opened, when and how Raven wasn't very sure, but the red energy swirled underneath its parting wings designed just like her hood. It promised safety, but BB and Cyborg never moved an inch towards it, they weren't going to abandon her.

"And leave you alone with That?!" BB shouted pointed at the towering red and black demon.

"Not gonna happen!" Cy finished. Raven was slowly being dragged back. Her shoes digging into the moist earth, her eyes closing in concentration. Even speaking was taking its toll on her.

"It's my, problem. I'll deal with it. If I lose you'll be stuck in here forever!!" She screamed not telling them that they could all very likely die in here as well. Her father was fed up. Stopping, he formed a miniature sun in his hands throwing it relentlessly at his daughter's barrier. She screamed, her magic faded, dissolving in the red plasma hell that was his power. As the smoke cleared the demon noticed that his daughter still stood, her arms in that of a strong 'x' protecting her from the attack. On pure adrenaline she turned back to her friends, her hand filled with blackness, she pushed them back towards the door away from her. They needed to leave.

"Go!" She ordered not sparing a backwards glance as she soared through the sky. Blasting her father when she could, dodging when she couldn't. Raven never noticed that Cyborg and Beastboy hadn't gone through the portal, but instead stood and watched their friend and when Cy and BB's eyes met, neither one held any doubts as to what they had to do.

* * *

 

"Danny… Danny!"

"Huh, what?" Danny said shaking his head to try and stop the ringing in his ears, what hit him? Groggily, he turned his head to see Fixit shaking him. Fear on his face, Danny saw flashes of light shooting towards his shield. Realization dawned on him, and quickly he dropped the barrier and teleported him and Fixit away to a nearby door, they watched the attack connect to green air.

"No! Find him! Find Danny Phantom, that punk already owes me ten thousand years!" Walker screamed as the guards dispersed throughout the Ghost Zone. Danny sighed, ignoring the questioning gaze that was burning a hole in the back of his head. Silently, he turned and looked at Fixit and shook his head, waiting until he was sure Fixit got the message. Once he did, Danny grabbed his arm again and flew off hiding behind doors every time a patrol came to close. Fixit hadn't been sure how far they'd gotten, but when it had been quiet for what he assumed was five minutes the questions he had held at bay couldn't be contained.

"Why are you dead?"

"It's complicated."

"How long have you been dead?"

"For three years."

"What treaty was Walker talking about?"

"Again, complicated."

"…Is this the burden that is killing you?"

Danny actually stopped at this. The water cool air crashing back into them. What Fixit hadn't been expecting was the look of amusement in Danny's eyes which slightly miffed the robot.

"What? No, why would being dead be a burden…o.k. half dead technically. Don't ask, I'll tell you later once we get out of here, preferably before we start the next world war."

Fixit raised an eyebrow at this, was he being serious?

"I'm being sarcastic."

"You're a horrible friend," Fixit stated looking at the endless sky. The purple sun had long since set strangely in the East, casting the sky in a sap green hue.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're not exactly the picture perfect friend as well," Danny stated and with this he resumed flying, the corners of Fixit's mouth turning upwards. Danny had just referred to him as a friend.

As they continued through the night, steadily the landscape began to change to shadows of white which Fixit realized was snow until they came to a giant swirling mountain chasm that seemed to go down instead of up.

"Where are we going?" Fixit asked.

"To see a friend, and to get directions on how to get home," Danny said as he and Fixit flew down to the realm of the Far Frozen Clan.

* * *

 

Raven kept attacking. Ignoring her screaming muscles and protesting magic, she needed to fight. As she aimed for her father's back, she was startled when he turned at a faster speed not remotely possible, and his eyes fired at her sending her into his arms.

"Rage shall consume you!!"

Pain. And blackness was all she could feel, her eyes glazed over trying to overcome the desire to just…

"Yo! Sounds like somebody needs a time out." Cyborg said pointing his sonic cannon at the demon from where he stood on the cliff. He fired directly at the soft flesh in between the knuckles of the demon's hand. It screamed out in pain, taking another blast directly to the chest, losing his grip on Raven. He tumbled down into the abyss of red stars and darkness. She was falling, Raven vaguely registered this, but it couldn't hurt right? Not like this. Only it would, and she could do nothing to stop it, it was then she felt the strong claw of a green hawk gripping her shoulder. And looking up she knew it was Beastboy, gliding the two of them down onto the hard bedrock, transforming back into his normal self, smiling in relief to his friend. Raven only felt confusion.

"You saved me? I thought you didn't like me?" Raven asked gazing into his light hazel green eyes. The only thing about him that wasn't completely green. How had Raven missed that?

"Thought you didn't like me," he said smiling while helping her up. They were interrupted by Cyborg who was a good distance away, staring down into the abyss.

"Yo, I like both of you, now get your butts over here!!" He yelled as Raven's father stood up.

"Feel my fury!!" He roared, attacking Cyborg who barely managed to dodge the attack. Raven and Beastboy joined and soon the three Titans were locked in combat. The blood rushing through their veins drowning out the fear of death.

* * *

 

Robin was at another dead end. There was absolutely nothing on Danny. No articles about a fifteen year old genius, or any record of him attending the community college in Jump. Robin was wearing his resources thin. Starfire had been eerily quiet, but had never stopped pacing the room. Although for different reasons. Finally her control snapped and she tried again.

"May we now…"

"No."

Starfire immediately started pacing once more. Desperate he typed in his last option 'Vlad Masters' and pressed the enter key. The search began.

* * *

 

Fixit was awe stuck as he and Danny landed onto the soft cold snow. The now liquid blue air seeming to swirl in snowflakes around the land. Here the atmosphere felt more like Earth's, but Fixit wasn't fooled. He could still feel the pressure that surrounded him the instant Danny released his shoulders.

"We're safe for now, Walker and his goons won't come into Frostbite's land," And with this Danny started walking. His feet leaving no tracks in the snow. For a time both walked in silence. Fixit pausing every once in awhile to admire the carved designs in ice, wondering who made them.

"What is the treaty Walker was speaking of, the one you broke?" He finally asked careful to put his voice back into its monotone sound. He wasn't disappointed as he watched Danny tense, then relax his eyes wandering the land as they continued their trek.

"The treaty was created a year ago, stating that as long as I never set foot in the Ghost Zone again, other than to visit Clockwork, the Ghosts would not attack the Human Zone. Of course we aren't prefect, I still caught some ghosts terrorizing the towns, but most fled when they saw me," he stated, his echoing voice becoming brittle as the ice surrounding them.

"Did you break the rules as well?" Trying to lighten the mood Fixit was rewarded with a small chuckle.

"Yes, but I only ventured to Ghostwriter's Library, everywhere else was too risky. Even coming here. I wonder how Frostbite will take my return."

"Hopefully better than Walker did," Fixit stated that ghost ticked him off, not understanding why Danny was already sentenced to ten thousand years in prison, that seemed very unjust. Danny did burst out laughing at that.

"Heck yeah! For one thing I'll be dust in ten thousand years!!" Danny said still laughing. But this statement only raised more questions. Walker called Danny a halfa and later Danny said he was only half dead. How was that possible? They came to the edge of a bend and rounding the corner, Fixit saw a magnificent city made of ice, with creatures he had never even dreamed of walking about. They didn't even get past the gates when many in the city began shouting out in joy saying the Great One had returned.

Distantly, Fixit realized they were speaking of Danny. Just what had he done to earn that level of respect? He watched as a great white ghost, that looked to be a white yeti, but held wolfish properties in his face, two ice horns resting on his head, below his canine ears flickering around his head in joy, came flying out of the city, his ice blue cape billowing in the wind putting strain on where it was held together by a solid gold coil. This ghost was obliviously the leader, and yet he was acting like a father embracing his lost son when he pulled Danny into a monster hug. Careful not to skew him with his claws, one arm completely made of ice.

"Great One, you have returned!" He exclaimed as Fixit heard a muffled squawk of protest from Danny, who appeared to be suffocating in all of the leader's fur. The wolf like ghost realized this and released Danny, who landed on his feet gasping for air, but none the less smiling.

"It's nice to see you, Frostbite," he said in return.

Frostbite's eyes turned from jubilant to concerned in a heartbeat, as did the other yetis' who were watching from inside of the city their precise hearing catching every word.

"Great One, you should not be here, it violates your treaty. Although everyone here would personally say screw it, we have missed you greatly, but you are taking a huge risk," with this Danny's face flushed slightly as he rubbed his neck nervously. His gaze temporarily meeting Fixit's, who was startled by this strange action. He looked so much younger…

"Yeah about that, see, I kind of already screwed that up. My friend Fixit here went into my lab and sort of stepped through the Ghost Portal without my knowledge and in order to get him back…"

"You came in after him, and no doubt got caught," Frostbite said smiling amusingly down at Danny." The art of being subtle was never your strong suit," he added as an afterthought. Danny mumbling something unintelligible causing several of the other yetis to laugh.

"Who caught you?" Frostbite asked.

"Walker. And his guys had some sort of devices," Danny inquired, Frostbite now leading them through the city to the main hall that housed the science lab.

"You mean his new stun guns. We violently opposed him building those. For they were modeled to directly harm you, are you alright?" He asked as they walked up the icy steps and into a high tech laboratory. Danny merely shrugged.

"I'm fine. My head hurts more from teleporting than anything else, not as bad as when I'm in the Human Zone though. Why is that?" Danny asked. Fixit was surprised at how easy it was for him to keep up, especially since Danny wasn't holding out on any information.

"You are in the Ghost Zone, your powers are replenished easier than when you're home due to the ecto-plasmum in the air. Although, I'm surprised your head even hurts at all, since most of your powers are derived from inside the very core of your human heart," he stated Danny merely shrugged.

"While I am very fascinated by the fact that you seem to get Danny to talk in more than five sentences at a time, how are we to get home, my sensors have yet to locate a Portal similar to Danny's back in his lab."

Frostbite smiled and walked up to an ancient scroll floating in suspended animation. He deactivated the security measures around it.

"Great One, you know what to do," with this he left to go attend to other things, leaving Fixit alone and very confused. Danny reached out and held the old parchment.

"Tell now," demanded Fixit when Danny looked up to him. His green eyes laughing at the look on Fixit's face.

"Hey, it was your fault for going into my lab. But this is the Infi-map, it shows you any portal between the two Zones, all you have to ask where you want to go," Danny said letting it fly open. The map trailing onto the floor, wrapping around the entire length of the lab as it revealed thousands of blue stars in the night sky. The same ones Fixit knew very well. Danny set the map on the floor, careful not to touch it. He promptly answered Fixit before he even asked the question.

"If you tell it where to go, it tends to take you there right away and since I don't want to steal it from its protectors…" Danny trailed off as Fixit nodded in understanding, both looked down at the dark blue map.

"Show me the portal that will take us home." Danny said kneeling down onto the ice tile floor. The map, swirling its colors, blurring from blue to green the night sky changing as it drew a line from the Far Frozen Clan directly to…

"Ah, crap." Danny mumbled.

Fixit merely raised an eyebrow at his friend's use of language. Sighing, Danny thanked the map and rolled it up, placing it back into its camber where it slowly began to spin in a lulling circle.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing, the portal is just located in a bad spot," Danny said as they exited the lab. Frostbite standing at the end of the stairs.

"Where is it located, Great One?" Frostbite asked walking them to the edge of the city.

"Directly above Walker's prison."

_Yep, that sucks_. Fixit thought as Danny sighed and headed out of the city gates. Fixit was about to follow when he felt a furry cold hand press on his shoulder and turning, saw Frostbite looking down at him, concern in his eyes.

"Do not stop questioning Danny. There is much he has buried and I fear it is killing him. Please, for his sake, as much as the world's, help him, my friend." With this the wolfish yeti released Fixit from his grasp. Stunned the robot could only nod to the powerful ghost spirit. He turned and floated away catching up to Danny, who had paused and was waiting for him right before the bend.

"What was that about?" Danny asked confusion in his voice.

"He merely asked that I make sure you don’t freeze anyone with those ice eyes of yours," Fixit stated watching Danny's green eyes go wide. A blush creeping up his face, a drastic contrast to his snow white hair.

"That little…you freeze someone with your ice powers one time!" Danny yelled in frustration, grabbing Fixit by the shoulders so he could fly both of them out of there. He never noticed Fixit's shocked expression at Danny admitting to having ice powers, he was only speaking of his ice blue eyes. Nevertheless, Fixit couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at this new tiny piece of embarrassing information. It quickly disappeared as they reemerged out into the ominous green sky.

* * *

 

Their lives currently sucked as it came down to two things: one, getting blasted to death or two, run like hell. Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven chose the second option. All three Titans managing to avoid another attack and took the chance to hide while under the cover of smoke. Raven's father moving in a different location trying to locate his prey, the teens all breathing small sighs of relief while trying to get their heart rates under control. Raven was the first to speak, while they hid behind giant jagged rocks jutting out of the landscape concealing the fear ridden teens perfectly.

"He's too strong. I cannot defeat him," Raven said lowering her hood, sweat damp hair clinging to her face. Cyborg wasn't going to have this, he wasn't about to give up now. Not after the three of them had been put through one hell of a ride–no thanks to Beastboy– but still Raven was his friend, he wasn't going to abandon her.

"So call for backup! What about all those other you’s?" He said trying to throw out ideas.

"Yeah! The Green one kinda kicked butt!" BB threw out, not to mention she acted just like Cyborg and him.

"It still wouldn't be enough. None of my other sides have the kind of power we need," she said hopelessly. And for the first time Beastboy knew the answer to his friend's troubles. It was the very thing Robin had asked of him.

"Not alone, but what about together, they're all part of who you _are_ right!" He said smiling at Raven. The ground gave a violent shudder as the demon began blasting everything in sight. He needed to find his 'precious' daughter. Cyborg, who had been monitoring the situation, turned to face the other Titans.

"Go for it. We got your back!" He yelled, both of the Titans disappeared around the corner following after the demon. Raven gave a faint smile, she truly had been blessed, with this thought she ignored the slight ache of her powers and the sweat that ran down her face. She closed her eyes and raised her hood in meditation. Her arms crossing, she opened her glowing white eyes, calling on all of her other sides. They came in a swirl of colors, gathering into a circle around the soul they all made up. And together, they rose high in the sky, spinning around Raven, condensing into pure energy until in a swirl everything came together. In one flash of bright light, Raven felt all of herself, every fiber of who she was, poured into her. And she knew. She could win.

Her father was amusing himself, toying with her friends by sending hundreds of red eyed black birds at them as they ran around, trying to avoid the sharp teeth. He never noticed his daughter, dressed in a blinding white robe and uniform, appear behind him. Her dark red jewels sparkling like the stars that adorned the sky, like she had captured them and placed them around her waist. He turned as two angelic white eyes opened, and she attacked placing black binding magic around her dear father.

"You are going back were you belong!" She yelled as he struggled against her hold.

"Never!" He spat, the magic ripped apart. Raven's power poured out of her as she sent a continuous wave of night at him. Her father returned her power with his own sinister hell fire, clashing. They met half way, struggling for dominance. The birds disappeared around Cy and BB as the demon was forced to use all of his power against Raven. In a burst of strength, she pushed forward, her magic defeating her Father's, he howled in pain, his own fire destroying him as well. Until all that remained was a tiny four eyed Raven dressed in a plain red robe staring up at its captor. The red energy dispersed, flowing back into Raven and when the smoke cleared, she stood, her blue robe and black uniform surrounding her. Cyborg and Beastboy ran to their friend. Raven stood victorious. Until her legs gave out from shock, she couldn't believe she just did that, as she fell, Raven was caught by strong mechanical arms and a green changeling not two feet away, making Raven feel very claustrophobic, a blush dusting her pale face.

"It's okay," Cyborg said.

"We got you," Beastboy finished as Cy set her down on the ground.

"Thank you, friends," she said.

"So we really are friends?"

 Beastboy asked unable to contain his nervousness. But it disappeared when he was met with Raven's smile and small nod. Beastboy tried to push it.

"And you really think I'm funny?" He asked his eyebrows doing a little jig trying to get her to laugh and was met with an annoyed look.

"Don't push it," she said with this they headed back to the swirling red portal.

* * *

 

Robin stared in shock. Vlad Masters had lived in Wisconsin, but that wasn't the problem…no, the problem was that about two years ago he ran for mayor in Amity Park, North Dakota, where one Danny Fenton had lived. There were only two articles about Danny in the paper. One from four years ago, the other a year. Robin couldn't believe it, and silently he turned off the computer screen. He didn't want to keep staring at the teen's eyes. Starfire stopped moving, she couldn't take it any longer.

"I must go see if friend Raven is alright!" her bell like voice cutting through the silence. Robin awoke from his trance immediately and bolted out of the room chasing after Starfire.

"Wait, Starfire! She wanted to be alone!" Robin yelled, the door closing as he left.

* * *

 

Everything was quiet as Danny and Fixit neared the prison.

"What are we waiting for?" Fixit asked. He and Danny hidden behind a large floating purple door.

"We don't know when the portal will open, and I'd prefer not to get zapped by those stun guns," Danny said seriously. They watched the green air begin to condense and swirl, until right above the watch tower of the prison a portal appeared.

"Let's go!" Danny said grabbing onto Fixit's shoulders, shooting off towards the prison. Lights stopped them right in their tracks as their eyes were forced to adjust to the blinding sight and once they did, they were surrounded by the guards. Stun guns all aimed at Danny while Walker made his way towards them. His feet walking instead of floating, this in Fixit's mind made him look a lot more menacing.

"Nowhere to run, punk," his eyes smirking as he spoke.

"You can't stop me, Walker," Danny answered back coolly, his eyes holding no fear, Walker laughed.

"We'll see, kid. You broke the rules and now I can wage a war against you. After all, war criminals can be kept alive longer than the normal ones."

Fixit shuddered, he didn't want to dive any deeper than the surface of those words. But Danny's gaze never faltered, and it was then Fixit knew. That whatever Danny was, this burden of being dead wasn't killing him, and obviously fear and fighting wasn't it. So what was killing him? He watched as Danny's snow white bangs hid his eyes for one moment. Shadowing them. Danny breathed, taking in the pain and accepting the consequences of his actions, and when he looked up his glowing green eyes held fire.

"I'll take your war, and throw it back into your pearly white ass face." Walker let out a roar of rage, the guards firing. Danny turned Fixit in his grasp, green flashed around them, and in the next instant, they were diving through the closing portal. Leaving Walker to howl and scream, demanding to know how the two criminals escaped.

* * *

 

Robin had managed to catch up to Starfire and grab her wrist before she knocked on the door. It didn't help that her alien strength easily dwarfed his, and Robin practically had to throw his entire body weight into just stopping her hand from reaching the door.

"Please, let us simply…"

"Raven asked us not to disturb her!!" He growled out, resorting to putting one foot on the door for support as he pulled back Star's arm. The other on her shoulder yanking her arm back and also for balance. O.k. he just invented a new workout routine…and a new game of tug of war.

"She could be weeping and…"

"I don't want to bother her!" He yelled sweat beading on his brow. Her hand was almost there…

"But if we merely…"

The door opened. The two Titans fell backwards in shock as Cyborg, Beastboy and Raven all emerged from her room.

"Where have you guys been?" Robin asked noting the time, it was well into the night.

"Just getting to know each other," Cyborg stated, all three of them smiled.

"Come friends, we shall prepare a new breakfast feast!" Star exclaimed happily, but BB merely rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's a little late for breakfast, Star. Maybe just some herbal tea?" He asked, Raven's eyes lighting up at his consideration, but her smile fell, she needed to tell them.

"Actually, Beastboy, breakfast sounds nice, but I need to tell you all something about the fight with Dr. Light."

Everyone was dead silent.

"When Phantom came, I don't know how, but suddenly I could feel his presence. He's in unbearable amounts of pain."

"How? Whot's causing it! And how do we stop it?!" Cyborg said fiercely, that guy might not say he's their friend, but he was powerful, and in Cyborg's mind, if Phantom wanted it or not he did consider him a friend. His heart dropped down into his stomach when Raven met his eyes.

"We are. Not directly, but whatever caused his wound, we are aiding in its inability to heal. And when I asked him to stop, he did. And this time, I fear he will never help us again, especially after he realized I could see his heart."

Darkness fell over the team as Raven's words sank in. Beastboy finally realizing why Raven's emotions had been so nuclear this morning, Phantom meant a lot to her. He meant a lot to everyone. Huh, weird, Beastboy thought, he barely even saw the guy, rarely even talked to him, so how did he warm into his heart?

"Actually, I could go for some black coffee right about now," Cyborg answered hollowly his eyes downcast. It was then the articles came back to the forefront of Robin's mind.

"Let's go to Danny's bookstore. He has coffee, and I need to ask him something important," he said, the team agreed, trusting that Robin would tell them when the time was right. They headed out.

* * *

 

Danny and Fixit fell from the ceiling onto the tile floor of his lab. As Fixit recovered, Danny took the time to transform back. Grunting in pain, the headache beginning to make itself known. Man, he was getting tired of using that power. While Fixit sat up, Danny couldn't help the laugh that escaped him from looking at Fixit's face, which seemed presently frozen in shock.

"What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost?" He stated this got the reaction he was hoping for, Fixit shook off the shock and replaced it with annoyance.

"It would appear I have, and alas, I have no doubts that you are alive yet dead. Now tell me, how is that possible?"

Danny shrugged standing up, carefully making sure his equilibrium was steady.

"Lab accident. My parents built a Ghost Portal when I was fourteen, but my eccentric and sometimes flaky dad put the darn 'on' switch inside the freaking thing. And when I went in there…"

"You turned it on," Fixit said comprehension dawning on his face, he watched Danny retrieve the book on the counter top.

"Yep, I got shocked with ten thousand volts of electricity and ecto-energy which split my molecules, killing me and saving me all at the same time," he said handing the book back to Fixit, who took it silently, gazing down at it.

"I was wrong, you are not Hamlet, you are someone greater, but tell me, just who are you?" Fixit asked looking down at Danny as they headed over to the door.

"I don't know, but in a way, I almost envy Hamlet."

"How so?"

"That in the end, death claimed him before his burden crushed him, and the fact that he finally got fed up and said 'to hell with it!' and killed Claudius."

Fixit couldn't help but smile at the brashness in Danny's voice, he almost forgot Frostbite's plea. Almost. The door bell rang as Fixit was placing the book back on the shelf.

"Well damn, if it's an angry customer I'm letting you open the door and kick them out," Danny stated, grudgingly making his way up the stairs. Fixit following who raised an eyebrow at this.

"You have cussed three times in under a day, has your mind been damaged from the fall? Also, I do not see why I must answer the door, seeing as how they're your customers," Fixit stated as they made their way across the Victorian red carpet, Danny giving a huff of annoyance.

"Shut up. My head hurts from teleporting. And if I hadn't left the store closed to come save you, you'd be sitting on that stupid rock talking it up with Skulker or Walker. So deal with the customers, and suck it up."

However, Fixit was spared their wrath and was met with the Teen Titans standing outside. Danny mumbling something close to another curse word under his breath as Fixit opened the door allowing them inside. Greeting them, he watched as Danny exchanged hellos while looking slightly peeved at why they were coming so late, for coffee no less, but as Danny led them to the café. The reason why his friend didn't like heroes suddenly became clearer.

"Fixit, a little help?!" Danny called as the Titans situated themselves on the nearby couches. Danny standing over the non-functioning coffee machine.

"Of course," Fixit said floating over, he never thought he'd ever truly appreciated how light air was. Stopping in front of the machine, Fixit merely stared at it before his eyes went red just as his fist came down, smacking the thing up top its head. Danny stared in shock as the thing began to work.

"If you were just going to hit it, I could have done that!" Danny said his face slightly red, Titans laughed quietly to themselves. Fixit merely smiled and floated over to where Cyborg was seated at a table. Danny sighed and looked back to Robin.

"You wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, it's about…"

Robin was cut off as the door bell rang once more, and the Titans watched as Fixit stood and moved through the bookshelves. Everyone turned back to Danny, Robin hesitating before he went on.

"Well it's about your family. They were ghost hunters, correct?"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze, Danny's eyes turned cold.

"Yes," the curt reply came through strained lips.

"Then you know about ghosts. Tell me, do you know if Phantom is a ghost?" Robin's eyes noting every muscle tensing underneath Danny's clothes.

"I don't know. My parents were inventors mainly," he stated, for some reason Robin felt like that wasn't the entire truth.

"Have you seen ghosts?" his voice stern, eyes never backing down from Danny's icy ones.

"Yes," Danny was visibly shaking now.

"Then is it true they were killed by a ghost and your legal name is Daniel James Fenton who was adopted by…"

_"_ _Vlad Masters,"_ came the voice of the man standing next to Fixit. All of the Titans jumped and faced the tall man in a black double breasted suit. His grey hair pulled into a ponytail that brought out his dull blue eyes. Danny simply staring at the man in shock, quickly turning to rage.

"I am sorry. It seems I’m not very good at kicking customers out," Fixit stated concern on his face while looking to Danny whose eyes never left Vlad's. The air in the room seemed paper thin.

"That's fine. He would have found his way in here eventually," Danny ground out, his voice nearly a snarl, Vlad smirked.

The Teen Titans all stared in shock at the two people in front of them. And when Robin watched Vlad smile, he couldn't stop the chill that ran up his spine. Or the confusion he felt as he gazed into Danny's hate filled eyes. Vlad smiled a crooked smile, revealing the perfect white teeth of a billionaire.

"It's nice to see you too, _l_ _ittle_ _badger_."

 

* * *

 

 AN: Read & Review

 

 


	8. Switching Strengths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Puppet King attacks. Starfire and Raven switch bodies against their wills. And Danny Phantom is turned into a human...sort of.

**My defenses are crumbling...**

 

" _My strength alone cannot suffice, but I see no others who will stand and fight."_  

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 8: Switching Strengths

His mind was blank. Danny stood rooted to the spot, vision filled with nothing but Vlad Masters smug smile. Danny's chest felt too tight, head pounding, making his vision swim, causing the roaring in his ears to only increase. Pain filled memories clawed their way to the surface of his heart. But the one thing Danny knew for certain, was that Vlad being here would only make his life spiral out of control. Not that it already wasn't.

"Downstairs, now," his voice was straining, trying to keep the powerful echo out and to maintain his ice blue gaze. Vlad merely nodded, his eyes glistening in some unknown emotion. Danny's movements were stiff, controlled as he walked past the elder, who placed a dead white hand on his shoulder. Vlad reveled in how the shoulder tensed, blue eyes flashing green, nearly making him laugh out in malicious enjoyment.

Starfire witnessed the whole thing. Her bones chilled until Danny and Vlad left, the door closing with a click. Her heart began to race…Danny's eyes had looked just like the gem Blackfire had given her. Suddenly, Starfire wasn't in the bookstore, but the warehouse, visions of streaming, smoke filled lights while pounding music filled her ears. Danny standing at the center of it all protecting her, glaring at Blackfire and the Titans. It had not been a trick of light. His eyes really were liquid green! But blue as well? The alien girl stood there in confusion, could human eyes really change that quickly? Starfire was startled out of her thoughts when Robin moved behind her. His face pensive and worried, trying to process what had occurred.

"So he really is adopted by Vlad Masters," the team couldn't help the shiver that ran down all of their spines at the memory of those dull blue eyes.

"What do you mean? Who is Vlad Masters?" Fixit asked, his monotone voice firmly in place, betraying nothing to his inner turmoil. Cyborg cast a glance towards him, and Fixit had to restrain the shudder at how upset his friends' eyes looked.

"Being adopted could mean a lot of things. His parents could be dead, or were 'unable' to care for him, or…" He could no longer continue. The strong baritone voice dying away as the rest of the Titans all looked down to the ground. Their minds racing in possibilities, and suddenly, Fixit understood why Danny never talked about his past.

"His parents are deceased," Fixit stated, trying to ignore the vise like grip that had taken hold of his heart.

"And I understand that you feel for him, but do not speak of it." All of the Titans looked up at Fixit in shock, but he paid no attention to this."You cannot change what has been lost, and Danny is not one to respond to words of self-pity or empathy. Neither is he the one to share his pain, nor one to accept words that no longer hold any meaning to him. So I ask you, do not speak of these things to Danny," Fixit finished his voice strong and true. He also didn't feel like telling them that Danny wasn't too keen on heroes, but he left that thought alone. Slowly, he waited as the Titans swallowed their worry and pride until all nodded in agreement. Fixit sighed, relief coursing through his veins. Now all he had to deal with was Danny himself, and the strange man named Vlad. Who when Fixit looked at, had gotten the strong desire to punch in the face. The coffee maker beeped, the brew was ready.

* * *

 

Danny tried to ignore the man walking behind him, who he knew still wore a smirk upon his slimy face.

"It seems your temper hasn't improved, my boy," Vlad sneered.

Danny ignored this, focusing only on the door in the living room. His pace steadily increasing until the knob was firmly in his grasp, wrenching the door open, he entered the white lab. Vlad following suit. The second the door shut Danny spun to face the older half-ghost.

"What are you doing here? You swore never to show your face to me again, that was our agreement! That you'd support me in shadows and in return I would leave you in peace!" Danny hissed, his rage boiling up. The air growing cold, making Vlad appear all the more demented.

"Yes, but that was before you broke the treaty. After all, the entire Ghost Zone will be after you now," Vlad responded his eyes gleaming, circling Danny, whose own ice blue eyes were glowing, but he remained rooted to the spot.

"I don't care if the world's ending. I never want to see your accursed face ever again!" Danny spat.

Vlad recoiled, his eyes meeting Danny's. Rage filled the elder half-ghost, but it was quelled the second he spotted Danny's trembling fists. A grin split his face.

"That's harsh, my boy. After all, it's not like you can defeat me and all of the Ghost Zone by yourself, little badger." A smirk twisting that smile.Vlad enjoyed how Danny's glowing green gaze fell to the floor, his entire frame shaking in fear. Vlad merely chuckled, he approached one of the lab tables upon which a metallic belt lay. Gingerly he picked it up, examining the device. His eyes returned to Danny whose back was facing him. The image of a mouse caught by the hawk flashed before Vlad's eyes.

"Even with this," his voice dark, and with that said, pink flames engulfed it in a small explosion. The belt fell, clattering on the tile floor. Danny jumped slightly, but never moved to gaze at the blacking metal. He only stood still, waiting for Vlad to return to his side. The man gazed down at his charge and reveled in the way the teen's jet black hair hid his eyes from sight. He marveled at how the once trembling fists now lay limp by his sides. Gracefully, Vlad placed a hand under Danny's chin and raised him up to find those two blue eyes which refused to meet his gaze.

"You cannot defeat me, and you'll always need me, my boy."

Vlad felt warmth spread in his heart at this admission of fact, watching as Daniel closed his eyes in defeat.

"No."

Ice filled the room, the harshness of the word echoing. Only increasing in power as blue fire met Vlad Master's dead eyes.

"I don't need you. My debt to you is almost paid and are you forgetting _Vlad,_ why that treaty existed in the first place?" Danny stated a smirk set firmly in place. Vlad wrenched his hand away, fear setting into his heart, the echoing voice reverberating around the soundproof lab.

"Don't you get it _Vlad?_ What you see as fear is rage, what you believe as dead is alive, and no matter how you try, you will _never_ be…"

A resounding slap filled the room. Danny's eyes going wide in surprise as he staggered back, a hand coming to rest upon the side of his face while trying to ignore the sting of flesh, and the way his left eye began watering out of pain.

Both stood there in stunned silence. Vlad in a breathless rage, Danny in pure shock. Slowly, Vlad lowered his outstretched arm, the palm of his hand slowly turning a light shade of red, his breaths short and ragged. Watching while Danny lower his own arm, revealing five red marks marring across porcelain skin.

"You insolent child!" Vlad breathed out, gasping between words, "What happened in the Ghost Zone was pure luck, you are not powerful. _And you need to learn your place!_ Before my _generosity_ runs out. After all, what you say is your debt has always been nothing more than a show of my _mercy_ and you shall not test me! Understand!" Vlad yelled his eyes pure red. His voice maliciously echoed like that of a hurricane, and through it all Danny remained unmoving, only increasing his rage. For Danny was the eye of the storm, unyielding, his skin steadily turning white, causing Vlad to only snarl like that of a feral beast.

"Do You Understand?" He repeated.

Silence followed until ice blue eyes fell to the floor. Danny lowering his head, bowing down to Vlad.

"Yes… _father_." Danny's voice held no affection, no sincerity.

His eyes remained downcast while he waited for Vlad's anger to subside, and remained cast on the floor, even when he felt warm hands settle upon his shoulders.

"Good. Now, I have to leave, walk me to the door, little badger," Vlad said a smile on his face. Heart glowing at the thought of being called father. Danny led the way up the stairs. Vlad never noticed the coiled strength or the look of pure untamable power in those two sharp glowing green eyes.

* * *

 

Robin and the others all held half full coffee mugs when Danny and Vlad emerged. Neither of them stopping as they headed to the door. Silently, the Titans followed, Fixit steadily floating closer to Danny, his steady blue eyes boring into Vlad Masters. Danny stopped by the door, Vlad paused, hand on the cool metal knob.

"It was nice to see you again, little badger."

Danny merely nodded. Fixit's steady pale glow illuminating five tiny red lines, not missed under Robin's gaze. Vlad gave one final nod and left. The second the door closed, Danny whirled around and let out a long sigh, his face scrunching up from stress.

"I need coffee," Danny said pushing past the Titans.

The coffee was black and scalding as Danny drunk it down in three gulps. Ignoring the steady thrum of the pulse inside his head. With the mug now empty, the raven haired teen turned to face the Titans, who all stood in a line looking as if they were afraid he would suddenly shatter.

"To answer your question, Robin. Yes, I am adopted by Vlad Masters. Now if you don't mind, it's beyond late and I have a shop to run so please get out," his tone was polite, almost kind, if not for the underlining tiredness. Robin was caught off guard by the sudden change in Danny and agreed without complaint. With the mugs all placed in the sink, the Teen Titans left. Fixit locking the door behind them.

The robot followed Danny as they made their way back downstairs.

"What did Vlad want?"

"Nothing important," Danny answered, and with that he entered his room. Closing the plain white door behind him, leaving Fixit standing in the hallway.

Quietly, Danny leaned his head back against the wood. Eyes closing as he waited for his insomniac mind to settle. Vlad had been right, the ghosts would start attacking now, and Danny was the one they would target. The air felt cold, the raven haired teen trembled, momentarily giving into his fears before standing and getting ready for bed. The fully healed skin of his burned arm and leg shinning dully in the lamplight.

* * *

 

The red satin curtains drew back. A lone puppet dropped on stage his face downcast, wooden arms clinking haphazardly by his sides.

"Titans, Go!" puppet Robin said, rushing forward, but no one followed. And the leader turned to face five other puppets hanging in the air. Their home painted in the background.

"Hey, aren't you guys coming?" Robin asked as the puppet Raven raised her wooden arm up in defeat.

"What's the point? We can't possibly defeat the Puppet King," she said her voice boyishly monotone.

Starfire's puppet agreed dreamily. All the while praising and commenting on the Puppet King's marvelous good looks, her big green eyes and carefully braided red hair flowing around the wooden face, the same boyish voice feigning admiration.

"Yeah, we should probably just surrender now," the Cyborg puppet said. Its red eye glowing as he turned towards the puppet with a mop of green hair whose eyes were downcast as he spoke in a wooden accent.

"Dude, I think we already have," BB said before pointing up, the Titans all looked to their master.

"Bravo, bravo, but enough rehearsal…" the master said as he pulled at the strings letting the puppets fall, "…time to start the show." But before the curtain could close, the master lifted one puppet whose eyes were electric green. Its snow white hair falling in cascades around his wooden face.

"And you, my Titan friend, will be the star of the show."

The blood red curtains drew to a close.

* * *

 

It was the perfect time for meditation. In the moments of dawn and noon the blackness of space, stars and meteors were Raven's only companions. It was peaceful. It was exactly how the girl liked it, until Starfire broke through the serenity with her bell like voice.

"Raven, please forgive my interruption, but have you seen Robin?" The Tamaranean girl asked politely.

"No," Raven curtly replied, one eye opening in slight annoyance.

 Starfire merely looked downcast at this, but her face lifted as she raised another question.

"Perhaps you have seen Cyborg?" She asked hopeful.

"No."

"Beastboy?"

"My eyes are closed Starfire. I haven't _seen_ anyone." It was getting really hard to keep her voice monotone.

"Oh, they must be doing the 'hanging out' someplace," Starfire noted as she turned to leave.

"Perhaps we should do the 'hanging out'?! We never have before, and conceivably it could be fun. We might journey to the mall of shopping, or perform braiding maneuvers upon each other's hair or…"

Black fire was seething out of Raven when Starfire finally gave notice.

"Oh, you wish to be alone?" She noted timidly. Raven merely nodded as the red-head silently left. Ah, this was more like it, the living room melted away back into black space. The warmth of the sun Raven's only tie to the real world as she meditated. The violet haired girl only got through one chant when,

"Mail Call!"

"AH!!" Raven screeched as she landed on her rump. Cyborg and the others filed in, Starfire rushing over to greet them as they placed the medium sized box on the kitchen table.

"Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, you’re back!! It was… quiet, while you were gone."

"Not that quiet," Raven replied. Cyborg cut through the masking tape on the brown cardboard box.

After Beastboy predicted what was to be in the box, 'fan-mail from his many admirers' and the group's skeptical looks at that, Robin finally decided to check the address.

"Actually, it doesn't say who it's from."

"Well, one way to find out," Cy said opening the package.

The Titans couldn't believe it. For there looking back at them were five cute little replica puppets of themselves. All of them hand carved and painted to perfection, and once each Titan held their own likeness in their hands, did they return to the box where one other puppet lay. This puppet was just as finely carved. His twin green eyes would light up if you pressed the symbol on his chest. No one dared to touch the Phantom puppet for what felt like an embarrassingly long moment.

"Well," Beastboy said nervously, "we can't just leave him there."

"Obviously, who ever made these must have gotten their facts mixed up," Cyborg said reaching in and grabbing the snow white haired puppet.

"Yeah man, especially since Phantom really only helped us out like what, three times," Beastboy laughed although everyone knew they'd relied on him more than _three_ times.

"Hey, show us the moves you and Phantom did in order to stop Cinderblock!" Robin said in a rush, and just like that, Phantom was put to use. The guys excitedly playing with their puppets, the boy wonder doll ordering the green mop on strings to be Cinderblock and was soon beaten to a pulp.

Starfire watched her friends play. Raven merely looking at them like they were, well…

"Boys."

A small giggle caught her attention as Star wandered over to her, puppet swaying in the wind,

"Shall my tiny replica do battle with your tiny replica?" She asked as the boys' Cinderblock fight turned into a battle royale of kicking and punching. Raven's expression never changed.

"Knock yourself out," and with this she left her puppet resting in Stars hand. In the background, Cy was winning, his and Phantom's puppet doing a side kick combo.

"You know, it's too bad Phantom really isn't a Teen Titan," BB spoke offhandedly, his puppet dodging one of the boy wonder's deadly fists.

* * *

 

Danny sneezed. His concentration temporarily broken. He hardly ever sneezed anymore, or even got sick for that matter. But that was of little concern to him, steadying his balance, Danny got back to work.

It was quiet in the shop. Nearing lunch, when Fixit asked the few customers still there, one nerd and two preps, to leave. Once the robot locked up, he headed downstairs expecting to find Danny eating lunch. Only the kitchen was empty, the black door in the living room slightly ajar.

The prefect white lab was empty as well except for the few beeps and clicks of machinery.

"Danny?" The robot called.

"In here," he heard, and looking to the left, Fixit followed the narrow hallway. The pale white tiles steadily turned to white washed wood and rounding the corner what he was met with took his breath away. For the room was a training area. Just as big as the lab, its light brown walls were lined with training sticks and weapons of all kinds. A black handmade ninja suit hanging on the wall, a Japanese katana glistening in the dim lamplight.

And there, on the navy blue training mat, balancing perpendicular on top of an old wooden chair tilted on two legs at a forty-five degree angle, was Danny. One arm resting behind his back, the other on the chair using only his thumb for balance as he continued doing push-ups while Fixit glided into the room.

"How many have you done?"

Danny craned his neck to meet Fixit's eyes.

"Three hundred and eighty something…you made me lose count," he said a frown on his face, black hair clinging haphazardly to his skin. Fixit merely smirked and circled the teen until he was facing the halfa’s back once more.

"You have excellent form. Not many people would be able to keep their legs that straight," he stated, mentally adding that the majority of people couldn't do that at all. The teen let out a huff of annoyance.

"Thanks. Now shut up, I lost count again."

At this Fixit waited until in one last huff, Danny steadied himself on the chair and in a burst of power propelled himself into the air, flipping silently and landing on the balls of his bare feet.

"Show off," Fixit stated affectionately. Danny glared at him, wiping the sweat that beaded his brow.

"You closed up shop?" Danny asked as they headed out of the room the teen bending down, grabbing a small towel on the meditation table next to the incense.

"Yes, it was a slow day. And I am starting to believe your customers are psychic and know when to stay away from here."

"Probably, I've never really liked working on Saturdays."

As Fixit pondered this new information, Danny grabbed himself a red sports drink and popped two poptarts in the toaster. Once toasted, Fixit couldn't stop glaring at the offending pastries in the teen's hand, while Danny stared at the robot, fearing for his lunch's life.

"What? They're only Poptarts," he said his voice bordering on concern.

"Precisely," Fixit said acting with inhuman speed, the robot snatched the sugary treats out of the halfa's hand and crumpled them to dust. Danny could only stare, his mouth slack in shock.

"Son of a…what was that for? That was my lunch!" Danny yelled, but Fixit ignored the teen's angry mumblings.

"Sit at the table and don't complain," Fixit ordered much to the halfa’s annoyance, but none the less, he complied and watched silently as the robot with his stoic face took out a skillet, one piece of frozen ham, two eggs, and began frying up a breakfast lunch meal. In no time at all, Danny had a ham egg muffin on toasted wheat bread with sea salt potato chips on the side.

"I didn't even know I had this stuff in my fridge…" He said in awe.

"You're welcome," Fixit replied unperturbed as the youth began devouring the meal. The robot could almost forget how powerful the child could be.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?" He replied a bit of sandwich going down the wrong way causing Danny to cough before he took a drink to wash the food down.

"How long have you been training like that? It must have taken years to perfect."

Danny merely sat back in his chair, plate empty, his face scrunching up in an effort to recall the memories.

"Let's see, probably the summer of my freshman year. I did it to train in my room since my parents were ghost hunters– and I really liked my molecules to stay intact– so I could train without being detected. Although I didn't add the chair till much later," and with this Danny smiled pleased with his answer. For Fixit though, this only piled on more questions.

"You never told your parents you were part ghost?"

A shadow passed over Danny's face, but it was replaced by a breezy laugh.

"I did…eventually." The robot saw through the façade easily, and it twisted the knife in his heart as he watched his friend begin washing the dishes. A smirk pulled at the corners of Fixit's mouth.

"It must irk you that I figured out who you were in one glance," his friend stiffened and turned an icy glare of annoyance right at the robot.

"Remind me again why I decided to save your robotic butt?" Danny questioned, but his mouth betrayed him, tugging upwards at the corners.

"Because… I make good food," Fixit replied stoic and monotone as ever and utterly serious, a shit eating grin spread across Danny's face and he doubled over in pure laughter. Fixit couldn't help but smile as well, a weight lifting off his heart.

Danny wasn't sure how long it had been since he'd laughed like this. In fact, as he sat on the tile floor gasping for air, he felt his sides begin to cramp up and his lungs burn from sheer joyful disuse. The halfa noted he was probably getting more exercise than his chair-ups. Finally, after a few extra deep breaths and more unwanted giggles that were entirely manly, Danny was able to pull himself off the floor to try and come up with a smart ass remark for Fixit's terrible sense of humor. When his heart froze up, and a single blue wisp of smoke escaped his mouth. Fixit stared in shock, while all of Danny's mirth died inside. The ghosts were back.

* * *

 

Starfire had woken in a fright. A feeling of cold dread weighing down in her stomach, the door to her room shutting from someone fleeing. The Tamaranean girl followed suit, wandering through the Tower. Why had someone been in her room? She wondered, her senses becoming hyperaware. The feeling of dread coiling in her stomach, she rounded another dark identical corner.

The perpetrator needed to hurry for he hadn't planned on the girl to awaken, but no matter he thought, gliding through halls, two puppets firmly in hand as he made his way to the third room where Cyborg lay fast asleep on the raised lab table. The master made quick work of him, dragging the pure white soul out of the teen into the perfectly carved puppet which fell into his hand with ease. Turning to leave the Master was shocked to see Danny's puppet sitting on the shelf next to a polished picture frame. That was strange, the Master was certain the halfa lived here. Very well, he would get Phantom's soul eventually.

It was dark and the wind was only slightly warmer than the clouds that filled the sky as Danny flew over the city. It was nearly ten now, the ghost hadn’t appeared and the teen was beginning to doubt himself. If only for the pull that still resided in his chest as he circled the outlining areas. The ghost was somewhere, but more like it had been…everywhere. Danny scowled at this, following a road that led back to the city. It was as he turned away from the crashing waves did Danny feel it. And in a split second decision, the teen tore through the sky heading straight for Titan's Tower.

Raven was annoyed, no scratch that, she was pissed. Not only had Starfire awoken her from a peaceful sleep and scared her when she had opened the door. No, what was worse was that the Tamaranean girl had been right about something being inside the Tower. And now here they were being held captive in Cyborg's strong arms as Beastboy and Robin stood beside him, their faces blank and their eyes a sickly green.

"Friends, why do you attack us?" Starfire squeaked as she struggled against her mechanical friend.

"Oh, they're not _your_ friends anymore, they're _my_ puppets," said the wooden voice as the Master emerged from the shadows. His carved eyes glistening, he gazed up at the frightened girls.

" _These_ are your friends," The Puppet King replied and dangling from his outstretched arm were the puppets of Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, and Phantom, Raven stared in shock. The puppets moved on their strings, begging for the girls help while Starfire screamed out in rage.

"Release them!" Raven snapped her voice coming out strong even though her lungs burned for air which was being denied by the strong hold from the puppet Cyborg.

"Sorry, but you're not in charge here," the king said mincingly, "You don't command me, I command you, and soon you two shall all be my puppets." And with this the boy wonder and the green changeling held up the last two puppets, the Puppet King pressed the button on his control to suck out their souls—

—and in a flash of black and white, Raven and Starfire were ripped from the grasp of the robot and thrown into the wall, the same time an electric green shield came up around them. Phantom standing in the middle of it, his eyes trained only on the Master who smirked and effortlessly landed on the shoulder of his puppet machine.

"Phantom," The Puppet King said smiling. Danny's eyes blazed with a thousand questions, but right now only one mattered.

"Who are you?" He asked and in the corner of his eyes he spotted the two Titan girls regain their surroundings, each preparing to attack. A grating voice interrupted Danny's thoughts.

"I am the Puppet King. And you my friends, will be my greatest weapons," his hand coming to rest lightly on Cyborg's shoulder almost in a caring fashion, enraging Starfire.

"No we will _not_!" She lunged for the King, only to be slammed back into the wall by one of Phantom's strong arms.

"You can't leave this shield, idiot. Or are you forgetting he can still suck out your soul!" Danny snapped, a note of panic entering his voice, watching the Ghost King hold up a snowy haired puppet in his hand. Realization dawned on Star's face. Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness overcome her at the knowledge that Phantom was here…and he was scared. A laugh that bordered on insanity filled the dark hallway and the three teens were drawn back to the enemy at hand.

"How right you are. But tell me, Phantom, do you really believe your shield to be strong enough?" The Puppet King smirked raising one painted arm and attacked.

The world strangely became silent, Raven staring in horror as pure white electric energy shot from the King's hands and struck the shield. Starfire watched, Phantom's green eyes glaze over and the shield imploded in on the teens. A scream rang out, a chant sang out and Starfire felt her body turn orange, Ravens blue, and Phantom's gold.

The world dissolved into cacophony.

For a while, or maybe only seconds, the world consisted of only lighting green and blinding white. The sounds were nothing but roaring waves, and a scream that bordered on a wail, and Starfire realized distantly that it was someone who was in pain. Everything was wrong for Star, she couldn't move, she couldn't help, and blackness was beginning to take over her vision. The teen tried to fight it until the thing surrounded her like a black hole. She knew nothing.

And the world ended in silence.

The hallway was destroyed, the Master and his puppets blown through the walls, a panic took hold while he searched for the control, but as he retrieved it he noticed the two glowing green eyes of Phantom's puppet. The Puppet King laughed, he had won, and the Titans were his to command, he drew closer. Though the Master noted that the white haired puppet seemed unconscious almost like the soul was only half there, the blue cloaked and red head puppets completely destroyed…

"No!! Puppets, bring me the Titans!! Find Them!!" He yelled, the three puppet teens were off.

Starfire had believed herself to still be unconscious when she opened her eyes to the pitch black room. If not for the Puppet King's scream of outrage. Fear and adrenaline flooded her senses.

"Raven," She whispered, blindly reaching forward, jeez it was dark, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her.

"Over here," Raven whispered furiously and fumbling slightly, the Tamaranean girl followed the light pad of footsteps and the dragging noise of something heavier.

"Here let me help," and locating Raven, Star hoisted a strong arm over her shoulder that she knew belonged to Phantom. Both girls silently praying that he hadn't been turned into a mindless doll as they raced through the hallways and fled into the underground passageway that would lead to the city. The two teens stopped only when they heard unnaturally loud footsteps getting closer. Breaths held tightly in their lungs, they waited under a small storm drain on Titan's Island while the combat boots of the puppets disappeared.

"The boys, Raven, what are we going to…"

Starfire couldn't finish her sentence, for in that moment, Raven had managed to find a small light and pulling down on the string, revealed that Raven was looking at none other than herself. Only Star's voice seemed to be coming from her mouth.

"Starfire?" Raven asked her now forest green eyes blank and emotionless while her body's violet eyes swirled in them.

"Raven?! Ah, you are me…and I am You!!" Both girls' eyes were wide as saucers, one registering shock, the other panic. The light bulb exploded overhead from black energy. That was also around the time Phantom began to stir.

* * *

 

Danny felt as if the world had been turned upside down. Or at least was out to get him as he walked down the deserted industrial streets of Jump City with a very pissed off Raven and a hyperventilating Starfire. He still couldn't get used to the whole, we're in each other's bodies thing, only every time Raven opened her mouth a bell like voice rang out and Danny had to take three steps backwards because he really didn't feel like being blown sky high…again.

 

He was only half listening as Starfire vented her fears and retold the story of their demise to Raven. Inadvertently melting any objects within five feet from black magic, but as long as she spoke, Raven wouldn't ask any questions about Danny. Like why he hadn't flown off yet, or why he hadn't teleported. It was a simple answer, walking past an automotive shop, Danny looked into the dark glass to his reflection, he was human.

Or at least, his ghost form was human, his glowing green eyes were now a dull light green, his pale flesh held no aura, only the flush of a beating pulse and his powers were utterly gone. But what frightened Danny the most, what sent him nearly reeling in a panic when he'd first woken up down in the sewers, was the fact that he couldn't change back. The part of his DNA that allowed him to change was gone and he was stuck in this dead, now beating form. Forever. A fear cold as ice gripped his heart.

"What if we're stuck like this forever!! We're in the wrong bodies and…" Starfire screeched a mail box exploding causing Danny to flinch slightly out of surprise. Raven quickly intervened, a scowl upon the Tamaranean's face, which strangely unnerved Danny.

"Starfire, you have to calm down. My powers are driven by emotion, the more you feel, the more energy you unleash." Well, that certainly answered some questions about why Raven was…well Raven, Danny thought his eyes drifting back to the glass.

"But what if they find us? What if our…friends are doomed?" Star squeaked casting a wary glance over to Danny who raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity. The girl continued, her voice rising another octave, and Danny wondered if Star should consider being a singer…her voice was certainly high enough.

"What if I am stuck looking like this Forever!!" She yelled to the heavens, and Danny strangely pictured Sam being forced to wear pink and Paulina gothic black, a smile pulled at his lips.

"We'll fix it. I don't know how, but we will rescue the boys, and we'll get our bodies back…” Raven reassured. “What's wrong with the way I look?" She suddenly asked.

Danny had to hold back a snicker as the violet eyed girl quickly answered the awkward question. Then the crosswalk sign exploded forcing Danny to dodge the flying debris causing both Raven and Danny to glare at Starfire.

"I will try to calm down," she said and a few deep breaths later "Peace, quiet, tranquil…Ah!!"

Everyone jumped as an SUV exploded in black fire.

"We are so doomed," Raven said, a hawk sounded in the sky.

"Beastboy!!" Star exclaimed. Danny turned to the sky where a green bird circled in the moonlight.

"Run!!" Danny yelled and the three teens tore down the first alley they could find. They were half way down when in the corner of his eye, he saw Raven doing the funky chicken dance.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled his voice coming out strained as his lungs began requesting air.

"I'm trying to fly! How do you fly this thing, Star?" Raven asked as they raced through another alley. Both girls pausing for breath, it was as Starfire began describing the thoughts of joy to enable flight, did Danny truly grasp just how dire the situation truly was. He could feel everything and nothing, he could feel his heart beating erratically, and he could feel the tremors in his hands from the adrenaline in his veins, but most of all he felt fear.

Distantly, he heard Raven say unbridled joy wasn't her thing. But Danny didn't register that for fear, while present in his ghost form; never affected his body in battle, but now it seemed to be the only thing his mind could focus on. Even the battle with Slade in his human form, his powers were present, helping him to control his bodies reactions, but the entire time he'd been using them to control his _fear_.

"Phantom?" Starfire asked concerned, her hand lightly brushed his shoulder sending the halfa's frayed nerves into overdrive.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped, a cold sweat running down his temples. Both girls backed away in shock, watching as Phantom began to tremble, his arms wrapping around his chest, eyes scrunching closed, breaths coming in short gasps.

Danny tried to fight back another wave of fear that swept through him. God, he had never felt so human before…was this what it had been like? The halfa couldn't remember, and that thought only added to his trembling. He knew his human body wasn't weak, he _knew_ this and yet...

A frightened scream broke through his mind, and Danny's eyes snapped open, following Star's black sleeved arm that pointed to a tiger emerging from the darkness. Vaguely noting Raven as she got up off the ground, one hand rubbing her long red hair…Star must have black magiced her again.

"What do I have to feel to us star-bolts?" Raven asked seriously.

"Righteous fury!"

"Your alien strength?" A note of disbelief and annoyance creeping in her voice.

"Boundless confidence!!"

Raven couldn't believe Star's powers were so, so, she whirled around to face Starfire and Phantom, who seemed to have recovered slightly.

"Never mind. I've got nothing." She said, her eyes mutinous as she glared daggers at her friend.

"Then I suggest we run," Danny replied his voice shaky. The green tiger charged the same moment the teens fled. The halfa felt his fear propel him forward spurring his legs into action. It was a feeling he didn't like, he felt it controlling his senses, but as he spun into another alley where the boy wonder waited. Danny found his racing heart an odd comfort, the fear turning into something useful.

 In a matter of seconds Phantom was high in the air, flipping, twisting, until he had the puppet by its shoulders. And as he landed on the concrete, the puppet went flying into the tiger both hitting the ground in a dull thump. Neither Phantom nor Raven and Starfire waited to see the end result. Danny turned sharply into another alley, slamming his back up against the wall. Raven followed suit, grabbing Star by the hem of her cloak and pulling her in the shadows, Phantom slammed his hand over the girl's pale lips to muffle her scream.

The three watched the puppets race down the alley, just as they felt themselves relax, two fists punched through the bricks, and Danny and Raven screamed as they shot through the air from Star's magic. It would have been funny, comical even, the halfa realized if he wasn't the one in the air with only a human's strength. Raven landed five feet away from Star, but as Danny landed he knew he was in striking distance of the mechanical puppets fists. His feet barely touched the ground when he felt his ribs creak from the impact of Cyborg's punch, and soon he was flying backwards into the girls. All of them falling to the ground in a mess of tangled limbs and screams. The other puppets arrived, the teens were trapped.

"Phantom, can you fly?" Raven asked fear shinning in her eyes,l. They stood, backing away from their enemies into the alley, it was a dead end.

"If I could, do you think we'd still be here!!" Danny snapped his anger getting the better of him, his heart beating frantically beneath his chest.

"Fine," Raven said annoyed. Her eyes twitching as she looked forebodingly to Starfire. She wasn't going to…

"If you and I can't fly, then _you_ have to levitate, Starfire. You know those words I always..."

"Yes!" Star said in excitement…huh, guess she was going to ask Danny thought. He could feel the alleys bricks digging into his back.

"Hurry up!" He yelled, Star took in a huge gulp of air.

"Wait! You have to focus!!" Raven panicked, the puppets were too close, Danny felt a sweaty hand wrap around his wrist before…

" _Azarath Metrion Zinthos!!"_ All three of them shot through the sky.

They soared past the industrial district, past the clothes district, and neither Danny nor Raven or Starfire could stop screaming.

"I wish to stop please!!" Star screeched as they did a loop and twist combo in the sky. Danny couldn't even see the ground anymore, and he was pretty sure he'd left his stomach back in the alley.

"Stop?! Don't you dare drop us!" Danny yelled back in panic, slamming painfully into Raven, but that would only bruise, however falling from this height… "Correction, don't drop me!!" as a few colorful words slipped out of his mouth. Star seemed to drop ten feet, zigzagging through the sky.

"Please, tell me how to stop! Raven?" Star screamed. Taking a calming breath, Raven began to reply, but her voice came out a yell from the deafening wind that whipped and whirled around them. Danny suddenly felt very dizzy.

"Look at the ground and imagine…Wait!!" Raven never finished and the teen’s crash landed in a pile of garbage in the old arts district. While Danny was getting over the shock of still being alive, he felt Star's body shift next to him, desperately throwing the piles of trash together.

"Raven, what are you…?" Star tried to ask, but in that moment the red head shushed her, and promptly threw a big bag of trash, none to gently, at her face to silence her. It was then Danny heard the muffled steps of two large puppets that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He felt Star shiver next to him, black energy swirling in her palm. Raven peeked over what little cover they had. She watched until they disappeared into the darkness.

"It's alright, they’re gone," she said. Danny felt Star relax next to him, their shoulders pressed together in the small space. With Raven on his other side, who suddenly let out a silent gasp, and quick as lighting she slammed her hand across Starfire's mouth, knocking the wind out of Danny's chest, as a green rat crept closer to them. No one dared to breathe as the rat smelled the trash, he was at the very top of the pile if he even tilted his head down in the slightest…Danny felt his body break out in a cold sweat, their eyes all trained on the green puppet in dread.

"Enough," The Puppet King commanded the rat leaving to stand in a row right outside the alley way with the other two puppets. The Master resting lightly on a newspaper stand with four puppets on strings dangling in his hands with the white control.

"We will catch the other three after the ceremony is complete."

"Ceremony?" Robin asked in a wooden voice.

"What ceremony?" Cy continued, his wood painted eye glowing red.

"Just a little spell, that will destroy you three and make your bodies mine forever," The Puppet King smirked, "come my puppets." And with this they left. The trash bags were soon discarded, the three teens walking out into the alleyway. Raven's red hair looking like a bird's nest.

"How can you stand having this much hair?" She snapped trying to tame the unruly mess.

"Quickly, our friends are in danger, we must follow and…"

"And what, Star? Save them with my unusable powers, while your unbridled emotions blow us to bits? We don't even know how to destroy the Puppet King, or even for that matter what he is?"

"Well at least I'm trying!!" Starfire seethed a black fire surrounding her while Raven only gazed at her with disdain written all over her face.

"Enough already, the Puppet King is a spirit," Danny snapped his emotions wearing thin. Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice, the halfa slid down the alley wall, snow white hair falling in his eyes. And now all the questions Raven had forgotten about came rushing back.

"How did you even know we were being attacked in the first place?" Raven said suspiciously her forest green eyes meeting his.

"Yes, and why do you no longer have any powers?" Star asked sitting down on the sidewalk, Raven following suit. Danny merely sighed, his light green eyes darkening.

"Because I'm a ghost remember, I can sense other ghosts, and I followed his trail all the way to your Tower. Where you were about to get your souls sucked out," Danny finished.

"But that doesn't explain why your powers are gone," Raven stated.

"I don't have my powers because the King isn't planning on turning me into a puppet. He's more than likely going to absorb me to strengthen himself, and with you five as his minions he'd have the perfect army," Danny stated his light green eyes calm and collected, while both Starfire and Raven looked very grossed out.

"Absorb…i-is that why you're so powerful?" Star squeaked out, now it was Phantom's turn to freak out.

"What? No! That's just sick. Look my powers are different from yours. I don't have to feel a certain way," his hand motioning to Star, "or think certain things," he looked to Raven, "to access them. My powers are developed from necessity and strength. As I grow, my powers grow, sure, if I feel certain things it makes me stronger. But for me, my powers are more than an extra arm or leg, they’re apart of who I am, that's all."

And as Phantom finished, he couldn't keep the forlorn expression that crossed his face hidden from Raven, for if his powers were bound to his soul, no wonder he screamed the way he had back when she'd saved them at the Tower. For both Raven and Starfire, their powers were a part of their anatomy, and even though they were in each other's bodies it hadn't hurt to have their souls drawn out. Heck, Raven wasn't even sure she missed her powers. But Phantom…Starfire interrupted then, her violet eyes filled with doe like curiosity.

"So if you're a ghost, what are you now?" She asked and for a split second Raven saw a flicker of fear in those eyes, but it vanished and died. Replaced with morbid acceptance.

"Human."

The silence was deafening. The girls began to draw conclusions to why he had freaked in the alley and reconciling that this hero was…dead.

"Anyways, I'm not the one who you should be worrying about. I can handle myself, you two on the other hand, there is no way in hell I'm going to help rescue your friends while you’re both likely to explode. I'd prefer not to die…again," Phantom said almost offhandedly while Raven and Starfire were both stuttering and sporting big red blushes. At the looks on their faces, Danny couldn't help the chuckle that slipped past his lips, or the way his light green eyes filled with mirth, causing the girls to blush an even darker shade of red. Both silently agreeing that a smiling Phantom was cuter than the serious one. Though they'd never tell him this.

"Phantom's right, Star, you may have my body, but you know nothing about me," Raven said softly, the violet haired girl nodding in understanding.

"Yes, and if we are to overcome this ordeal, we must know everything about each other, so, begin sharing," Star said and with this Raven began to tell her the story of her home while Danny rested his head lightly on the wall. His eyes sliding closed, letting their words blur in and out of consciousness, and as he drifted silently through vague awareness, he suddenly imagined himself in an episode of Dr. Phil and friends, that debacle woke him up pretty quick.

* * *

 

The Puppet King was furious, how he could've been so easily fooled by that wretched halfa? Right on cue, the white haired puppet let out a faint green glow, its wooden structure swirling in power. The King let out a growl, he busied himself in the ritual fires, and once they were burning, walked over to where the four teens sat and plucked Phantom from them.

"No! Let him go!" Cyborg screamed, the other Titans agreeing, trying desperately to move their immobile bodies. The King could only laugh at this,

"Do not worry, Phantom will not be destroyed yet. I need his entire soul before I can act."

"What? But his eyes?" Robin said shocked. The King let out a real laugh this time, his beady eyes swirling madly before focusing on the Titans.

"This is not his whole soul, merely his power. I need all of him in order to absorb him and become the greatest ghost in all of Jump City."

"Okay, ew," Beastboy said. The Titans watched the King lay the green eyed doll on a small stone grey alter surrounded in burning black candles. He stood up and faced them once more, his face covered in shadows, "and once I am the King and you, my Titans, are destroyed, I will be the mightiest force in both of the Zones!"

* * *

 

The clouds were rolling in, the wind picking up speed, sending cold chills down the halfa's uniform. Danny barely muffled a sneeze hiding behind the fountain in front of the old Bijou Theater, where a green Doberman dog stood watch. It hadn't taken long for the teens to locate the whereabouts of the Master. For there was only one run down opera house in the old part of Jump and this was it. The dog began pacing once more.

"Safe to say we're not walking in through the front door," Raven replied ducking down behind the marble to gaze at Danny and Starfire.

"We'll have to try the roof," she said, and with this Star nodded, sitting next to Danny.

"Agreed, now do just as I instructed," she said taking both Raven's and Danny's hands. Raven, he noted, looked severely out of place. Like she couldn't decide whether to snatch her hand away or slap the violet haired girl.

"Close your eyes and think of something joyful. You might choose flowers, or kittens, or the laughter of children, or…"

Danny and Starfire gasped in surprise as they were gently lifted into the sky, where they touched down on the old roof, the green changeling below never noticing a thing. The second Raven let them go, Star began praising her friend.

"Very, very good! What was your joyful thought?" She asked. Danny more than felt the uncomfortable glance Raven sent his way, almost begging him to save her.

"You don't want to know, Star."

"Oh, but I do. Please tell me, what did you imagine?" She persisted, Ravens gaze shifted to the floor while Danny tried to make his presence as small as possible. Man, how did Sam handle being friends with two guys? Danny wondered, for being stuck here with Raven and Star, it was almost as if karma was coming back to bit him in the …

"You, not talking," Raven admitted, her boot scuffing the wood while Starfire just looked like her heart had been ripped out. Hesitantly, Danny placed a hand Star's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, her violet eyes came back to life and she smiled to him in thanks.

Raven eyed the locked trap door built into the buildings floor. Green met violet.

"Your turn, find your center, focus your energy on the lock."

The two teens watched Star's eyes turn pure white, black energy swirling in her palms and she chanted until the lock shattered in two. A smile of pure joy lighting her face.

"Nice work," Raven said, Danny agreeing, patting Star on the back.

"Success!" She yelled, the two doors slammed open with a thud. Raven looked pissed, Star in gaping shock, while Danny prayed no one heard that.

* * *

The candles were burning, the fires in the center a flaming blue. Next to it, the Titans were dangling helplessly from the wall, and it was time. With the last potion added, the Puppet King ordered his puppets to search and destroy the other two Titans.

"I do not need an audience, three Titans will have to do. And now Titans, it is time for your grand finale."

High up above the stage, in the catwalks Starfire, Raven and Danny sat, crouching down watching the entire scene unfold.

"No," Raven whispered, the Master had their friends in his hands, and distantly Danny noticed his puppet on a stone alter glowing madly. As if it knew he wished to use its power, only he wouldn't be able to reach it in time.

"It's going to be a real show stopper," he said raising the Titans high above the flickering flames.

"Stop!"

"No! Please!"

"Help!!"

The three Titans yelled over the crackling flames, the white haired puppet was trembling in energy now. A shield desperately trying to form.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of your bodies. After all, they'll be mine forever," and with this the King cut the strings and the Titans fell.

"No!" Danny yelled high above the stage. A pitch black shield formed around them, shooting off into the air and into Star's outstretched arms, and she clung to them desperately.

"My friends! You are unharmed!"

"Starfire?" Robin asked confused and Danny would have laughed. If not for his thundering heart, he had almost forgotten the girls were in each other's bodies.

"It's a long story," Raven replied her face serious as all three glanced back down to the Puppet King and his men, the control in his hand.

"Go my puppets! Capture them!" The puppets took flight.

"Move!" Phantom yelled grabbing Star's elbow, dragging her into a run.

The puppets were faster. Surrounding them with ease on the narrow walkways, the teens gazed at the changeling and boy wonder in fright, when Danny heard the sound of a machine powering up behind them.

"Jump!"

And with that order from Phantom, both Raven and Starfire jumped off the catwalk, the sonic blast missing the tops of their heads by centimeters. The teens crashed into another walk way. The three Titan puppets continued to fall hitting the ground in a wooden crack.

"Dude, get your butt outta my face!" BB snapped at Robin.

"Can't move, deal with it."

The puppets were coming. Both Raven and Starfire took flight preparing for battle.

"Our friends!" Star screamed looking down to where they lay on the floor a good twenty feet below.

"You two handle the puppets, I'll get your friends!" Phantom yelled, dodging another sonic blast he leapt off the catwalk and Star and Raven entered into battle.

The Puppet King watched next to the blue flames as the white haired human plummeted to the ground. His knees bent rolling onto the hard floor and sat up. This was his moment, the Master thought. The halfa would head for the altar, and the second his hands brushed that part of his soul, the Master would finally be able to finish the job. Up in the catwalks, he heard the ferocious roars from his puppets and the girls, but they wouldn't be able to save their friends. Not so long as he held the remote. A smile danced across his lips.

Danny ignored the pain in his bones as he raced to where the Titans had fallen. Ignoring also, the screaming of his soul across the room on the altar, where the white puppet seemed to be nearly bursting in power. No, as he reached the Titans and scooped them up into his arms, his only thought was that he had to protect them. And the rational part of his mind yelling at him to go to his puppet, was promptly squashed back into the furthest recesses of his mind.

"Phantom?" Danny heard from the three in his arms.

"Look out!" He heard someone yell from above. Without looking Danny jumped away, Cyborg crashing to the ground, inadvertently tightening Danny's hold on the Titans.

"Damn," Phantom growled.

"Yo, Cyborg any chance your puppet won't get up?" He asked.

"Nope," Cy said as all four watched the robot move in to charge Danny, who dodged at the last second making the man barrel into the brick wall.

"Shit, what is with people trying to flatten me!!" Danny shouted, dodging a few dropping sand bags that had been cut loose from Starfire's black magic.

"No! My puppet, grab the halfa!" The Puppet King screamed his eyes a livid black, the control in his hand shaking from the anger in the Master.

Danny's eyes widened in shock when he heard the rubble behind him shift and tumble, the robot climbing out of the hole, his green and red eyes locked on Phantom's light green.

The Titans resting in Phantom's hands screamed words of encouragement as Danny desperately dodged the robot's attacks.

"Dude, tell your body to lay off!" BB yelled when Phantom had to jump high in the air to avoid the canon fire.

"I can't!" Cy screamed, and with this Danny came down in a round house kick sending the robot back ten feet. Phantom turned around sharply and began running towards the Master.

"What are you doing?!" Robin screamed.

"Getting that control!!" Phantom replied.

The halfa was almost upon the King, Danny shifted his weight preparing to lunge at him, when a solid blow to his neck sent him tumbling to the ground, arms going limp, the Teen Titans slipped free, and in his daze, Danny heard them yell his name.

Arms shifted around his waist then and drug Danny to the alter where his puppet awaited, the King ordering Cyborg to wait with Phantom in his grasp, while he himself hastily retrieved the Titans scattered on the floor next to the blue flames.

"No! Phantom!!" Robin screamed.

"C'mon, wake up man!" Cy pleaded desperately, watching his body hold Phantom like a dead weight in his arms. The teens head rolling back on the metal shoulder, light green eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, with the blue fire dancing across the pale flesh of a bare throat.

"Do not worry, he is not dead yet, unlike you three," and once again the Titans were heading towards the ghost blue fire.

* * *

 

Raven couldn't believe how hard it was battling without star-bolts, she could fly, kick, punch, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't concentrate enough to feel the righteous fury needed to power them. A scream erupted beneath her. And looking down she saw Star fighting Robin, balancing haphazardly on the metal arm support.

"Raven, Help!" She screamed dodging a well placed kick from the boy wonder

Raven suddenly felt an animal hand grip her skull, and remembered she'd been fighting BB as a bloody gorilla. Hoisting her up in the air, Raven broke his hold and kicking off she landed high on a metal beam and aiming straight of Robin, she kicked off, using all of her strength, her eyes liquid green.

"Starfire!" And she grabbed the puppet by his black cape and away from her friend.

"Not me, _them!"_

It was then Raven realized her mistake, her eyes following where Star's hand was pointing. There running towards the fire was the Puppet King, his arms outstretched and high above his head in his wooden grasp, were her friends.

Raven saw red. Her eyes electric green, her hands burning, she raised one glowing hand where a star-bolt crackled.

"The Puppet King is in command!!"

"No!!"

The star-bolt soared, slamming into the floor beneath the King, sending him and the boys flying backwards. The white control that held their souls flew sky high where it clanged on a metal weight and fell into the fires flames hissing and screaming.

"My control!" The Puppet King cried.

The blue fire grew and grew, a flaming beast, seeming to take shape, Danny hazily realized. His eyes shifted to the Master who screamed in agony, blue energy escaping from his mouth and eyes. Danny titled his head to the side and watched as the beast screamed, and the Titans began to glow. Their souls flowing free in extravagate colors of red, white, orange, green and blue. Dancing around each other until they found the body they belonged to. Danny's eyes slipped closed his neck prickling, Cyborg released the death hold on him. The Teen Titans were back.

Danny let a small smile grace his lips before the world tilted on its axis, and the white haired puppet fractured and shattered, and Phantom let out a piercing scream bordering on a

 wail.

It was over in less than ten seconds. But the Titans would never forget the scream as Phantom's powers returned, or the way he looked as if he were being electrocuted alive, his face twisting into a look of pure terror. And just as fast, the lightening vanished and Phantom stood there swaying until he collapsed. Cyborg catching him. Picking Danny up with ease, worry etched on his face.

"Dude is he…" Beastboy never finished, as the Puppet King let out a yowl.

"Nooooo! The magic without it, I'm just ah…." The Master toppled over, its limbs bent at impossible angles for the Puppet King was a puppet once more. The blue crackling fire died into nothing more than embers.

Danny heard muffled sounds as awareness came back to him, in slow, agonizing degrees. Every nerve in his body screamed and frayed, it felt like the inside of the portal all over again. Only this time, Danny mused, now he'd ten times the power, and ten times the pain.

"Ph-phantom," someone called, a hand fueling the fire on his forehead, he turned away from it. His glowing green eyes opening and registered the metallic blue of Cyborg's chest. The world was nothing more than faces and blurring colors.

"Wha-what's going…"

"You gave us quite a scare, my friend."

What little of reality Danny had a firm grasp on froze in fear, and he felt, more than heard the Titans shift into defense positions.

"Who are you?" Robin snapped out, and stepping away from the shadows was a man of about six foot two. Black spiked hair, pale blue skin, white sharp fangs and two blood red eyes.

"Plasmius," Danny spoke feebly, his eyes trying to focus on the now smiling ghost whose aura gave off a murderous dead white.

The Titans were shocked. Beastboy voicing something along the lines of surprise, but Danny didn't hear it. He tried to find his feet. Was he not standing? Did the floor even exist?

"You seem to now understand, my boy, the dangers of having broken the treaty. They will be after you now," the man said, his eyes serious. "All of them."

Danny felt a knot of frustration grip his chest, why couldn't this pain go away, he needed to move. Plasmius was speaking again, and he heard the Titans audibly suck in their breath. Danny turned his focus back to Vlad.

"…you can't defeat them by yourself. You need me," Vlad said and what little control Danny had on his emotions snapped. In a blind rage he located two red eyes.

"Fuck off. I've defeated you more times than…" Danny let out a gasp of pain while Vlad screamed in rage and lunged. The world darkened, and for one second the young halfa thought he'd died. But their standing in front of him was four Titans, armed and willing to defend him. A pure black shield Vlad's only warning. The red eyed man was livid.

"You can never defeat me," Plasmius growled out, slowly Phantom turned two lidded green eyes to the accuser, a small kind smile on his face. And with just enough strength to raise his arm, Danny let every ounce of his power sore from his fingertips. Striking Vlad with such force the entire back half of the building collapsed in on itself.

Danny's eyes closed, his arm hanging limply at his side. Vaguely, he felt the floor underneath him tremble in the most unusual manner. And he suddenly understood why he couldn't feel the floor. For that idiot Cyborg had been holding him the entire time. And if it had been under any other circumstance, Danny would have been angry and embarrassed. But now, after these last horrible hours, after everything. The only thing the young halfa could feel was relief. It was a feeling so deep, that it caused Danny to wonder if these people who had decided to take him back to the Tower, might stand beside him. But in his final moments of awareness, Danny knew that wasn't what he truly wanted.

No, what the young halfa wanted above all else, was to be saved.

 

* * *

 

AN: Read & Review

 

 

 


	9. The Deepest Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One final mission. It might be Phantom's last.

**You're dragging me down...**

 

" _Who breaks upon the lightest truth? Not him, young master. Not him."_

_~Hella_

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 9: The Deepest Sea

 

Time passed, but for Danny it felt like mere moments when he felt the fringe of awareness press on his mind. In the blackness, he heard voices and machinery, muffled sounds, and the smell of hospital sheets and oil. Danny didn't fight when the moment vanished.

_It’s been two days_ , Cyborg thought as he monitored Phantom in the hospital wing of Titan's Tower. The teen still couldn't believe it, but gazing at the straight line on the heart monitor, it hammered home what Robin suspected, and what Raven and Starfire had confirmed when they were racing home. That Phantom was indeed dead. Cyborg heard something shift, and looking over across the bed he watched Beastboy turn over in his chair. One of his legs dangling off the arm rest, his mouth slightly open where he continued to sleep. Cy understood why the changeling had opted to stay here with him and watch over Phantom, even though he claimed it was only because Cy couldn't play video games with him right now. No, BB was here because he was worried. They all were. Cyborg cursed silently when the neurological machine fired off an alarm bell before quieting back down. But by then Beastboy was sitting up and alert, his eyes shining with hope as he looked over to Phantom.

"Relax, BB, it's just another power surge."

"Oh," Beastboy's face fell, pointy ears betraying his distress, flittering around almost like he was trying to hear when the ghost would awaken. Cyborg stood to fix the machine when the hospital doors opened, and the rest of the team entered.

"How is he?" Robin asked a scowl of worry on his face.

"It's hard to say," Cy said turning to look at Robin while Star and Raven went to stand by Beastboy. "I keep having to adjust the machines due to Phantom's powers. Whatever he did back at the theater either severely weakened him, or just drained his powers completely."

"He did blow out the entire back half of the building," BB added lamely, his eyes downcast. Cy couldn't stop the pained look that crossed his face. Robin approached his friend.

"Something else is wrong," he stated, Cyborg nodded.

"Yeah, look while Phantom's dead, my guess is his powers circulate like blood, but is electrical like our nervous system and when I struck his neck back…" he couldn't finish, his gaze never leaving the ghost's face.

"But friend Phantom was human back at the theater. Should he not be well by now? If you had broken his neck, then the bones must have healed before we arrived here, for you did take a ray of X's."

"But that's the whole point Star, he was _human_ when I hit him. I may have broken his _neck_ and while that might not have affected him in his ghost form when he was human, I may have irrevocably damaged his nervous system and now that he's a ghost again…"

"It doesn't matter if his neck has healed or not. His powers are no longer able to flow properly, and that may be why you keep getting power surges on your machines," Robin finished his eyes serious. But even he couldn't hide the nervousness in his voice. The Teen Titans all stood in silence.

The next time Danny felt his way through the passage of darkness, he heard a steady cadence of breath, the sound of light snoring, and the same annoying sounds of machinery. Opening his eyes slightly, he winched when an alarming beeping broke through the silence.

"Damn, power surge," he heard someone mutter before the sound abruptly ended. Danny let out a groan of thanks.

"Phantom? Are you awake?" Someone asked a note of excitement entering the deep voice. 

Danny let out another groan. The world coming to life all around him. He felt long hair brush his shoulder, another voice to deep to be a girl's, but still annoyingly high say something. Danny considered it to be way too happy. He could smell something warm that reminded him of the incense Sam used to burn in her room, and when his eyes finally brought everything into focus, he found himself staring at Robin, who was at the foot of his bed. Smiling along with the rest of the team. Danny shot up and felt something akin to panic beginning to build in his chest.

"What…where am I?" Danny asked. His eyes clouding over and looking down he nearly screamed. For white bracelets attached to cords were around his wrists and ankles which fed into a strange machine. Danny really did begin to panic.

"What have you done?!" He screamed. Cyborg placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but the halfa could barely feel it, and in the next instant it didn't matter. For his power exploded around him, turning all of the wires and cables monitoring him intangible. The Titans watched in shock as it all fell through the floor with a crash. Danny felt himself begin to tremble, pain searing through his body, making his neck flare and burn.

"Phantom?"

"What?!" Danny snapped his eyes meeting a very nervous looking Beastboy, whose hands were raised in surrender while he moved to stand by his side.

"It's o.k. dude, you’re safe. We haven't done anything," he said, hazel green eyes big and earnest, and the changeling watched with bated breath as Phantom began to relax, his eyes never leaving Beastboy's. A smile appeared on the green haired teen then.

"Well, _we_ didn't, but Cy hooked you up to a Nero-something machine 'cause he didn't know how to help you. But I think it was because you not having a heartbeat seriously freaked him out."

 Danny couldn't help the small smile of relief that crossed his face. So he hadn't transformed while unconscious, he was still safe. But at this thought a new sense of panic took over, his neck flaring in angry protest.

"How long have I been out?" He asked looking over to Cyborg seriously.

"About two days."

It felt like he'd been drenched in ice water. He'd been dead for two days. Danny’s mind began to wander in shock, while he turned his palms over in his lap, studying the white material with a look of pure disdain.

"Phantom?" Robin asked suspiciously. Danny jumped slightly, winching when he had to raise his head to meet Robin's eyes.

"Cyborg says you might have nerve damage from when his body attacked you, are you alright?"

It took a moment to ponder exactly what Robin was asking before understanding crossed his face.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Danny hesitantly stood, feeling the pull of stiff muscles and aching bones.

"I'll need to borrow your training room."

* * *

 

Danny felt his mind wander as Robin led the way through Titan's Tower. Cyborg describing in detail all the equipment they had. The halfa never acknowledged that he heard the man. Instead, he found his focus only on the burning pain stinging his neck. It was a bone deep ache that seemed to set his nerves ablaze, and Danny found himself trying to find ways to dull the stabbing of pins and needles while trying to keep his feet moving in their already languid pace.

"We're here," Cy said smiling.

"You can use anything here," Robin spoke, watching while Danny made his way over to the sand colored training mat.

"I'm guessing you're not going to leave me alone," Phantom stated while the Titans all wore nervous expressions at being caught in their curiosity to watch the powerful teen, the boy wonder saved them.

"No, you could have serious nerve damage, and we need to be prepared for whatever may happen."

Only Robin would justify his curiosity as such. Danny thought in exasperated fondness, loosely looking at the rest of the team, who all shifted nervously in anticipation. Sam and Tucker flashed through his mind, a short huff of amusement escaped his mouth almost in a laugh.

"What?" Robin snapped his cheeks flushing red. Phantom merely shook his head, turning to step on the mat. It had been a long time since he'd trained in front of others.

Slowly, Danny started his movements, graceful, lacking in any precision or destination. A turn here, a soft kick there, his breath even and slow, glowing green eyes slid closed, letting his muscles remember the movements. The Titans watched in complete awe at the ghost in front of them, for he did not look unearthly. Rather, his movements reflected the earth itself. Drifting with the river and swaying with the grass, his face calm and emotionless. Slowly fading until Phantom remained unmoving, completely relaxed.

"Wha…dude, is that all?" BB said appalled, Phantom's glowing green eyes met hazel green. A knowing smirk on his pale lips. And with a deadly twist, Danny shot through the air, his moves bleeding into one another. Each one's fluidity smoother than water, his merciless speed promising the enemies' demise. Phantom no longer looked human. With one final flip, the halfa landed in the center of the mat, his breaths short and staccato, eyes blindly unseeing.

The Teen Titans stood in silence. Robin couldn't believe Phantom had so much control, his moves reflected age, and working together, the Titans might be able to pull off what he'd just done, but none of them alone could even compare. Beastboy was the first to recover, a smile plastering his face, his arms swinging by his sides as he approached the halfa.

"Dude, that was _awesome!"_

"Don't come any closer!" Phantom snapped out, his power surging forth in green energy around his waist, crackling menacingly, Danny's knees buckled beneath him. Beastboy saw red.

"What is your problem? We're not going to hurt you! So why won't you just trust us?!" He yelled, not noticing Phantom’s distress.

Danny clenched his eyes shut. Hands coming to rest on the back of his screaming neck. Panic overtook his heart. He'd only turned his head wanting to see the Titans when he felt his powers scream out in protest. He couldn't control it, his body wasn't listening to his brain, and the electric energy wanted to unfurl around him as if wishing to be changed.

"Phantom?!" He heard Cyborg call out, the Titans realizing what was going on. Painfully, Danny hazily opened green eyes shot through with blue. Cyborg was approaching, no, he needed to stop. Danny tried to move away, eyes wide with fear for the mechanical teen. But his limbs were on fire. Shudders wracking his body, the twisted green trying to break in two.

"No!" Danny screamed, and with a crack, everything came rushing back. Digging into his skin with a sharpness no blade could compare to. The energy dissipating until only the prickling of needles remained in his neck, in the same moment blackness engulfed his vision. Cyborg caught the white haired teen before he could reach the mat, his red eye scanning Phantom's vitals.

"Dang it! I can't tell what's wrong! How am I supposed to help when I can't even…?"

Robin placed a hand on the man's shoulder. A solemn look on his face.

"Let's take him back to the infirmary."

* * *

 

It was early in the morning when Robin received the report. Sighing, he made his way to the living room where the windows were covered in wet droplets from the rain the night before, casting the sun into blurry colors of yellows and reds. The Titans all sitting on the couch eating breakfast.

"Where's Cyborg?" Robin asked although he already knew.

"He's with Phantom," Raven replied looking up from her book which was perched precariously on the edge of the table. Open to the same page she'd been on for the last fifteen minutes. Robin walked over and pulled up the video feed to the infirmary just as said teen was adjusting the machines.

"Cyborg, we need to go, we have a mission."

"What?" Everyone said looking up in surprise.

"Last night a transport ship carrying toxic materials was attacked. We need to find and locate the material and the culprit who goes by the name Trident. We're taking the submarine, and Cy, you're the only one who knows how to monitor the engine in the T-sub."

The team was silent while Robin stared stiffly at Cyborg. Trying to push down his growing worries for Phantom, who was asleep behind the mechanical Titan, connected to ribbons of wires and cords.

"I can't man," Cy said seriously, "Phantom's powers are going haywire on the machines. And so far the only thing that seems to be working is a low grade electrical current. But I can't pin down when to administer it until his powers start spiking."

"Cyborg's right. We cannot leave friend Phantom here alone in the Tower," Starfire said standing and approaching Robin, followed closely by Raven and Beastboy. At that moment, the alarm bells went off on Phantom's machines, the pale face contorting in pain, his body tensing at the green energy trying to be released. The group watched as Cyborg disappeared off screen to activate the current. The cords turned a light blue, humming softly until steadily, the green aura surrounding Phantom turned pure white, and his body relaxed back into the covers. Robin's mind started whirling.

"How long has that been happening?" Raven asked her monotone voice conveying none of her fear. When Cy began to explain, Robin cut him off.

"How long would it take for you to adjust Beastboy's seat in the T-sub to accommodate Phantom?"

Cy stared in shock for a moment before he understood.

"I'll need to divert some power modules in order to control the current, and re-wire the system to allow me to monitor him from my control panel…give me thirty minutes."

And with this the screen went black. Robin turned to face the rest of his team.

"We'll leave in thirty minutes. Beastboy, I want you to already be in the water with your tracker on you."

"Got it!" Beastboy said running out of the living room to prepare.

"Are you sure this is wise? We don't know what's wrong with Phantom, we could only make his condition worse," Raven said her eyes serious as she met Robin's determined ones.

"You heard Cyborg, we can't leave him here, but our duty to the city takes priority. And besides, I know Cy will do everything to make sure Phantom will be as secure as possible."

With this the girls nodded and left, leaving Robin temporarily alone in the room with his doubts. Heading to the door, he prayed he'd made the right decision.

* * *

 

Danny was getting used to waking up in different places. Although it did nothing to quell the fear fluttering beneath his breast. Slowly, he sat up, noting that he was strapped into what appeared to be an advanced submarine. The dark water flowing across the glass like dome. His wrists, feet and neck were wrapped up in loose fitting white coils that were humming softly, emitting a light blue glow and when they stopped, Danny immediately felt the pangs in his neck shoot fire down his spine. A small groan of pain passed his lips, but he pushed it aside when he heard Robin come in through the speakers.

"Sonar contact. Beastboy, get ready."

It was then looking over to the side of the ship where Raven was, did Danny notice a giant three-hundred thousand pound dark green whale, who nodded and swam ahead. The ship dipped lower into a murky valley surrounded by high cliffs. A green hammer head shark leading the way to a rusted cargo ship.

"There's our ship, but where's the cargo?" Robin asked, the sub's flood lights coming on, illuminating the gashes and shattered frame, following Beastboy's path.

"If this Trident dude is bad enough to sink a whole ship, those barrels could be anywhere by now," Cyborg replied watching the deep green shark disappear into the wreckage. Beastboy never noticing the shadowed figure watching him.

"So I take it we're not here on vacation?" Danny asked tiredly into a head set he found on the side. His eyes roaming over the mission specks that were being displayed on the control panel in front of him. What did someone want with toxic waste?

"Friend Phantom, you're awake!" Starfire sang, rejoicing into her headset.

"Yeah, now tell me why I'm here before I decide to teleport back to shore," he snapped his voice was crisp and harsh. Even though Danny knew it was an empty threat, he could barely even think straight through the foggy haze in his mind, and the fire lapping around his frame. But apparently the Titans believed him.

"Hey man, don't do that. It's a long story, but trust me when I say you don't want to leave that chair!" Cy said panicked. Danny was silent, his mind blank as he wondered what he'd done to warrant the concern of these people.

"Phantom?" Robin called his voice strained even through the intercom. Danny noticed the green shark speeding off, chasing a shadow.

"Your friend just left," it was the only reply he found he could give. The Titans' focused back to the mission at hand.

"It looks like Beastboy found Trident!" The flood lights off, the ship turned to pursue. The blast of energy that struck the side of the ship startled them all.

"Looks like Trident found us!" Cy yelled, and with this they began to dodge the electric attacks from the shadow they could barely see.

"Cyborg, bring us about, Raven, get ready to fire." Robin ordered, the orange sub quickly turned to face the onslaught, only to be met with ocean blue.

"Where'd he go?" Cyborg snapped.

Trident appeared, and fired,

"He is there!!" Star screamed.

A shadow roamed over the widow on the opposite side.

"No, that way!" Raven urged.

The fish like man appeared at Cy's window his staff glowing a bright gold.

"It's him!"

The enemy fired, Cyborg managed to turn the ship to avoid taking a direct hit, but the hull was damaged as Robin sped them away.

"He can't be three places at once, head for that…"

"The engines are fried. We're going down!" Cy yelled his eyes determined, steering the ship into the ravine; Trident hot in pursuit.

* * *

 

Beastboy was almost to the shadow when he felt someone pull in his mind.

" _Your friends are in danger,"_ the voice spoke, serious and even. The green shark stopped in his tracks.

" _My friends… what?! Whoa, how did you say that? Dude, how did I say that?"_ Beastboy looked up right as Trident fired a killing blow to one of the hydro engines.

" _Hey!"_ BB yelled in his head, speeding off to where the ship was going down.

" _O.k. hero time, this is my big chance to prove I'm the…"_ A black and blue blur zipped past him, knocking Trident off course and into battle.

"… _best."_

"Main powers down, our engines are toast, and we're leaking air." Cyborg yelled, the dome protecting him cracked. The ship increased in speed heading straight into an abyss, its cliff wall jagged and menacing.

"The hauls starting to give, we sink much deeper and the pressure's going to crush us!" Cy said his deep voice loud and panicked as he tried to bring the ship about. It was when the ship jerked forward did Danny feel the first signs of his power trying to escape. Desperately, he tried to hold it in, for he couldn't tell what it was trying to do. Would it respond to his wishes or simply finish off the already destroyed ship? The white haired teen clenched his eyes shut, trying to drown out all concepts of motion, the white bracelets no longer functioning, and water began to stream into the sub.

Beastboy zoomed past the teen dressed in blue and black fighting Trident, for he was determined to save his friends and prove his worth. The changeling morphed into a giant squid. The sub was heading for the cliff's edge.

"Titans, brace for impact," Robin shouted, the ship struck the wall, jerking Danny forward, while his delicate neck bones snapped backwards; a green swirling shield engulfed the ship. Pushing the water away from the sub and stopping the ocean's crushing pressure the second blackness engulfed Danny's vision.

"What's going on?" Robin yelled as the energy continued to protect the still sinking ship.

"It's Phantom!" Star screamed remembering his shield.

"Well, it doesn't matter, we're still sinking, and Phantom's not responding!" Cy yelled back.

Beastboy was almost to his friends when two hump back whales suddenly sank down into the abyss until the ship, green shield and all, rested on top of their backs, carrying them away to some unknown location. Leaving the green squid to stare blankly ahead wondering what just happened.

" _How come they got it?"_ He thought.

" _Because I asked for their help,"_ said the teen who swam up to meet Beastboy, his inky black hair flowing around him as he looked to a very annoyed green squid.

" _You talk to fish? Yeah right,"_ Beastboy scoffed pointing a long tentacle at the strange person.

" _I'm talking to you, aren't I?"_ He replied smirking, the squid stuttered indignantly in his head.

" _It's called telepathy, follow me,"_ and that said, he shot through the sea following the whales' path.

" _It's called 'telepathy',"_ Beastboy replied, a lilt to his voice.

" _I heard that."_

" _Who is this guy?"_ And with this BB followed, a red blush on his cold flesh.

* * *

 

The orange sub emerged in an underwater cavern, the whales floating it over into the shallow water, pushing the sub until it rested comfortably at the edge of pure blue stone. The green shield still swirling, the Titans all climbed out of their compartments, not caring where they were. Cyborg opened Phantom's hatch to retrieve the pale, half-soaked ghost.

Beastboy and the strange teen with inky black hair, which fell to his shoulders, emerged shortly after, and the second the changeling's feet touched stone he whirled to face the man.

"Who the heck are you? And why did you bring us here?" He snapped out, a glare on his childlike face.

"The name's Aqualad. And we're at my place 'cause if I hadn't brought you here, your friends would be at the bottom of the ocean right now. Speaking of, why haven't they deactivated their shield?"

With this Beastboy turned to see the swirling energy. The Titans all balancing on the sub gathered around BB's compartment. All traces of annoyance left the teen's face, racing across the slippery rocks Beastboy stopped just short.

"Hey, is Phantom alright?" BB called out as Aqualad made to stand by him, confusion on his face. Both teen's watched Cyborg lift the ghost out of the sub, ordering Robin to grab something from his seat. The boy wonder complied and jumped over the broken machine, disappearing momentarily and returning with a long white coil that Cyborg took quickly and attached around the white belted waist completing the circuit. Slowly, all of the five coils began to glow and hum, drawing the green shield back in, the power washing over the Titans inside the barrier like ice water until it settled, disappearing. Phantom's aura turned pure white once more, the coils now inactive. Slowly, two glowing green eyes opened to stare into the faces of four teens.

"He's coming to," one of them said, Danny pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes immediately falling on Aqualad's pure black eyes.

"I take it you're the one who saved us," Phantom rasped out, his body tensing for battle. Aqualad felt shivers run down his spine at the piercing glare to which he merely nodded. Danny visibly relaxed, accepting it to be the truth in those coal black eyes, before he noted his own appearance. Or, rather he noticed the extra white coil fitted loosely around his waist. Danny's hand twitched towards the device before he remembered the other four coils, a frown took to his face. Cyborg noticed this.

"It's to complete the circuit. I didn't think I'd have to use it, but since the ship is totaled, it's the only thing that will activate the coils for the electrical current and reign in your powers," he stated watching as understanding began to dawn on Phantom's face before his expression darkened and was hidden beneath white bangs.

"I see."

And with this, Phantom stood. Leaping down onto the blue stone, coils dancing loosely on his wrists, his face an emotionless mask as he approached Aqualad. The Titans all followed, the girls noting immediately that Phantom and Aqualad were around the same height. Each one exotic and mysterious in their own right. Careful not to make much sound, Starfire bent down to her friend and whispered her thoughts, and in the end both girls were off in their own worlds of being served grapes and fine wine by the Greek god Phantom, while the Ocean prince Aqualad asked them to dance.

"Why did you run when Beastboy saw you?" Danny asked his posture unguarded, but his vivid green eyes hard. Aqualad retained a shudder before he masked it with a smirk.

"Sorry about that, we Atlanteans like to keep a low profile," he said extending a hand to Phantom who shook it. Turning, Danny stepped to the side allowing Robin to introduce his team, while strangely noting that both Raven and Starfire were sporting pale red blushes.

"Wait, you're Atlantean?" Raven asked now back on planet Earth. The black eyed teen nodded.

"Yes, and so is Trident," he said, turned, and made his way to a stone dais the crystal in the center activating, depicting the black and grey fish man in all his violence as he rampaged across the holographic screen.

"He's the worst criminal in Atlantis, with an ego to match. Trident claims he's perfect in every way, so he thinks he can do whatever he wants," Aqualad said next to the screen.

"Any idea what he wants with all that toxic waste?" Robin asked his curiosity peeked.

"Whatever it is, it'll be bad for both of our worlds. He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once," Aqualad said stepping off of the dais walking up to Robin.

"When he attacks, what form of weapon does he use?" Phantom asked causing everyone to jump at the strange question.

"Some kind of zooped up shrimp fork. Why man?" Cy asked at this Danny merely shook his head, turning his eyes back to the criminal's face in contemplation. Aqualad stared one long moment at Phantom before returning his gaze to Robin.

"As long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other?" The black haired teen suggested.

Once spoken, Danny watched the young changeling flip out and drag the Titans into a small huddle. It was because of this Aqualad found time to ask the questions that had been burning in the back of his mind the entire time. Walking forward, he looked down at the bangs of white hair from the corner of his eyes.

"Why are you even here? Clearly, you can't control your powers, and you're obviously of no use?"

At this Danny merely smiled at the ignorance of the tone.

"Correct, now answer me this. Why do you delude yourself into wanting to keep a low profile when you clearly long for a team?" The look on Phantom's face haunting in its graveness.

Aqualad was stunned speechless, but Danny was far from finished. Unfortunately, when both teens heard Robin ask for the Atlanteans help, Danny stopped.

"Great. Hey, Tram!" Aqualad called ignoring the vivid green eyes boring holes in the side of his head. A stout fish like man dressed in overalls and a backpack emerged from under a sea shell carved door and ran over to them. He spoke in some foreign language that only Aqualad could understand, and after a short exchange, Tram was off, tearing holes into the already damaged ship and repairing it from the inside out.

"Tram's good with tools," Aqualad said offhandedly, the sound of an electric drill was heard digging into screaming metal.

"Yo, careful, that's _my_ sub your messing with!" Cy shouted running over to help the fish.

"And while he's helping you, I'll track down Trident," Aqualad stated heading for the water much to Beastboy's dismay.

"You mean, I'll track down Trident." BB said stopping the teen just short. Both Robin and Danny made their way over to the now brawling pair. Aqualad to stubborn to ask for cooperation and Beastboy desperate for approval, Robin had had enough.

"Guys! Why don't you both go track Trident down, together," he suggested while both teens stood fuming.

"I usually work alone."

"Yeah, me too."

"You do not! You’re part of a team!"

"And you hang out with Tram the fish-boy! What's your point?"

"Hey, arguing isn't going to stop Trident. Now get out and search, both of you," Robin ordered. Still glaring at each other, Beastboy and Aqualad prepared to dive when Danny suddenly spoke, his gaze only trained to one person.

"Aqualad," said teen turned his gaze to him, "would they have made it in time?" And with this Danny turned and headed back towards the dais. Leaving the small group confused. It wasn't until the Atlantean dived into the heavy water with Beastboy did he understand. This amount of pressure, his whales wouldn't have made it.

Danny stood on the blue dais, his mind a jumbled mess of worry and pain. Cyborg's words ricocheting in his head. His eyes fell to one white gloved hand, a loose coil dangling from his wrist. If Cyborg was using an _electrical current,_ then he wasn't reigning in Danny's powers…hesitantly, the teen closed his wrist and tried to change. The effect was instantaneous. Green energy surged forth, crackling in hints of bluish white around his arm, the coils activated bringing Danny to his knees, until his aura once again became white, leaving him sitting their eyes wide in shock.

"Phantom?" Robin asked, slowly approaching in worry. Danny shakily stood a small smile on his face.

"Sorry, just testing something out."

With this Robin nodded and left to go help Cyborg, leaving the teen alone with his thoughts. Sighing, Danny pulled up the chemical composition that belonged to the toxic waste, he'd never been great in chemistry, but it was worth a shot. After all, he didn't want to think about what had just happened. For whatever the puppet Cyborg had done to him in his human form back at the theater, it no longer allowed him to change. And now, his body was beginning to demand it, and these coils were the only things preventing him from being torn apart. Molecule by molecule.

* * *

 

Beastboy and Aqualad swam back to the edge of the ravine, stopping near the crash site of the T-sub.

" _I searched that region yesterday, we'll start over…"_

" _Look,"_ the green squid thought. _"I'm sure you’re some kind of local hero but I'm a real hero from the big city. So just let me call the shots. And try to keep up." _With this Beastboy morphed into dolphin while Aqualad merely scoffed in his head, arms crossed over his chest.

" _I'm picking something up on my sonar, come on!"_ BB yelled and speeding off, the Atlantean couldn't help but smile at the short changeling's antics.

BB stared in surprise when three other dolphins swam around the bend.

" _Congratulations, you found other dolphins,"_ the sarcastic voice cut in.

" _I knew that,"_ Beastboy replied as Aqualad swam up, his telepathy giving him the answers they sought.

" _They told me where to find Trident, try to keep up,"_ his competitive side getting the better of him.

" _Oh, I'll do better than that,"_ with this both teens were zipping through the water heading towards the enemy, dodging rocks and cliffs, the ocean floor dipping into great canyons. Aqualad took the lead, but every time Beastboy would change forcing the Atlantean to go faster until the green sword fish rocketed past him heading straight for…

" _Beastboy, stop!"_

" _What's the matter, too fast for, ugh…"_ the changeling grunted slamming into the chest of Trident, he hit the rocky floor with a thud at the man's webbed feet. Aqualad stopping short, waiting for the fight.

" _Heh, how's it goin'?"_ Beastboy thought mentally stuttering.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, idiot fool!" Trident screamed his weapon firing, the swordfish barely dodged and Aqualad lunged at the yellow eyed criminal, knocking both of them behind the high jagged rocks.

" _Oh no you don't, this time he's mine!"_ The green shark snapped heading for the rocks, Trident emerged, his staff charged and aimed straight at Beastboy whose teeth snapped it with ease. The battles began.

* * *

 

Danny found staring at molecular constructions beyond boring. The bonds and designs washing over him blearily, his vision strangely dark and unfocused.

"Hey man, you find anything?" Cyborg asked stepping up onto the dais, snapping Phantom from his haze, the coils unknowingly deactivating.

"No," Danny stated attempting to focus.

"What are you even looking for?" Cyborg asked standing next to him, his eyes following the roaming patterns of chemicals.

"I'm not sure. Why aren't you helping Tram?" Phantom asked off handedly.

"He's almost done and some of the things he's doing to my ship are just too horrible to watch," Cyborg said his face contorting in pain. The corners of Danny mouth kicked up in a smile. Oh, Tucker and Cyborg would have gotten along great.

"Trident's power is what's bothering me," Danny answered. "Setting aside the fact that he's Atlantean, you said his main weapon was his staff…"

"You mean his pitch fork."

"Whatever, because of this, we can rule out that he's a ghost, and that his new found power isn't a natural occurrence in Atlanteans' genetics. So that only leaves the question as to what his new power truly is, and where the toxic waste comes into play."

"Maybe it allows him to move at speeds we can't see?" Cyborg suggested.

"I don't think so. The configurations don't form strong enough catalysts with the water, which would give him the necessary speed and agility," Danny stated rubbing his head in frustration, ignoring the way it sent waves of pain down his spine.

"Well maybe the toxic waste isn't being used to effect the environment," Cyborg stated his brain working through different formulas and equations.

"Teleportation?" Cyborg asked reconfiguring the structures to fit Atlantean DNA.

"No. I teleport, and that affects the person and the environment, it only seems to affect him…uh, what is he doing? Cloning himself!" Danny snapped sinking onto the floor. In that moment comprehension dawned on both teens faces, Cyborg quickly began remodeling the designs.

"Shit, he is cloning himself!" Cy yelled jumping off the dais and racing to inform Robin, praying that Tram was done. For one long moment, Danny only gazed at the screen, his green eyes shadowed before he stood up from the cold stone to follow Cyborg.

* * *

 

Both teens were fighting with all their strength, both managing to destroy Tridents' staff. Neither one crossing the others path until Aqualad turned to see Beastboy squid wrestling with Trident, who must have gone after BB after he snapped the staff. Trident threw Beastboy off of him.

" _Incoming!"_ He yelled face planting into Aqualad, who scowled, ripping the tentacles off of his face to glare into two big black eyes.

" _I said incoming,"_ Both watched as Trident fled into a dark underwater cavern.

" _He's getting away!"_ Aqualad yelled telepathically to BB both swimming into its darkness. When the cavern split in two, each one ominous, the Atlantean whirled to face the changeling.

" _Where were you back there?!"_

" _Where was I?"_ The squid snapped his tentacles coming to rest at his sides defensively.

" _Fighting Trident, by myself!"_

" _You barely laid a tentacle on him!"_ Aqualad's mouth moving to his minds words.

" _At least I managed to break his weapon,"_ he finished, gesturing to himself. Leaving Beastboy dumbstruck and confused.

" _Dude, that's just wrong. I so broke that fork thing!"_ Beastboy replied and as Aqualad made to retaliate, both teens spotted movements in the shadows of both caverns, their senses went on hyper alert.

" ** _There he goes!!"_** Both yelled pointing down the two different paths.

" _I saw him! I'm right, you’re wrong, end of story. If you don't believe me, see you later!"_ Beastboy called swimming away.

" _And I'm telling you he's this way! If you want to go that way, be my guest. But I'm going to catch Trident!"_ Aqualad yelled and with this he stormed off fuming mad at his inability to work with Beastboy.

The cavern was dark, the only light coming from the craters of boiling water and flames that would erupt from the ground. Aqualad ventured deeper, the steam rolling off in waves warming the water into an unpleasant state. A splash of movement was the teens' only warning before he was attacked from behind.

" _Pretty boy, know it all, show off, thinks he's so…"_ the green squid mumbled in his head floating down the dark cave.

"Worthless scum, you cannot defeat perfection," Trident screamed emerging from the shadows, staff in hand.

" _How many of those fork thingies do you have?"_ Beastboy thought dodging the onslaught of lightening attacks and turning into a hard shelled turtle when the staffs' sharp points sought purchase of vulnerable flesh before Trident shot him into the shadows.

"I will win. I always win. I am superior!"

A giant green claw reached out gripping the staff. Beastboy emerged a crab.

" _And I thought Aqualad had a big ego."_ With this thought he fought back.

* * *

 

Aqualad slammed into the hot rocks below, his breath forced out of his lungs as the fire continued to erupt around him. Trident screamed from above, his weapon aimed for the Atlantean's heart, who barely managed to spin out of the way before knocking Trident back with a powerful kick. Weapon lost, both warriors swam to retrieve it. And a second too late, Aqualad was staring down three sharp points. Pouring all of his strength into preventing the staff from reaching his head, a boiling crater about to erupt behind him, in a burst of adrenaline the teen shoved the staff to the side. Sending both it and Trident into the mixture of water and lava before he sped off high into the ocean to where light was filtering down from above.

Jumping out of the small lake, Aqualad emerged in an unknown cave. Its contents dark and slimly, unlike his home of pearl blue stone. Hearing a rushing of water the teen turned to see Beastboy emerge from a nearby pool. Both immediately charged at one another from fear, anger, and relief.

" ** _I just saw Trident!"_**

" ** _No, you didn't!"_**

" ** _Yes, I did!"_**

" ** _Cut It Out!!"_**

"I don't care what you saw, I fought Trident!" Beastboy snapped straining his neck to look up at Aqualad whose eyes were wide with disbelief and frustration.

"That's impossible!"

Beastboy had enough. "O.k. dude, what is your problem?" He yelled trying to charge the teen, only to be stopped by a hand on his forehead pushing him back just out of arms reach.

"What is your problem? We're supposed to be on the same side, but you treat me like an enemy!" Aqualad snapped.

"I don't _need_ you on my side. This was _my_ mission until you showed up! You think you're so cool, but I've got a news flash of you, you're not better than me!"

"I don't think I'm better than you!" Aqualad yelled, Beastboy froze, staring up at him in shock.

"You don't?" He asked blankly.

"Maybe you’re better than me, who cares! I just want to catch Trident, and to do that, we need to stop fighting and start working together," he said looking down at the green changeling whose eyes had fallen to the slimy black floor.

"So, you don't think I'm useless?" Beastboy asked his voice coming out a mere mumble. Aqualad stopped dead in his tracks, the conversation with Phantom coming back. The Atlantean had always assumed that by being in a team you'd always feel needed and relied upon. He never thought that maybe Beastboy or anyone for that matter, would doubt their usefulness. After all, he'd always been alone.

"No, if I did, then I wouldn't have asked to work with you. Teamwork remember," he said and resumed walking, trying to locate where they were, when Beastboy gasped and ran up to him.

"Teamwork…Aqualad! What if there's more than one Trident."

"Don't be ridiculous, how could there be…"

"I know but what if there is. What if he found a way to copy himself? He could be in two places at once. There wouldn't be just one Trident there'd be…"

In that moment, orange goop dripped down from the ceiling and onto Beastboy's nose, the teens looked up.

"…thousands." Aqualad finished as they both stared in shock at the orange egg sacs filled with maturing Tridents, some opening their eyes, watching and waiting to be freed.

"Uh-oh," Beastboy said backing up towards the water.

"One Trident is bad..." Aqualad stated.

"But this is…"

" _An Army!"_ Trident screamed as hundreds emerged from the shadows. The barrels of toxic waste clustered behind them, its chemicals spiraling upwards in cords, connecting and feeding the others. The criminals all attacked, staffs in hand, both teens jumped into action, destroying the orange eggs any chance they got until both were thrown back into the hatching computer, the Tridents gathering upon them.

"Great," Beastboy said watching as the program turned on.

"My brilliant plan is already a success," One Trident said.

"…If one of me was perfect,"

"Why not make more?"

"…you can never have too much of a good thing."

"Once my army conquers Atlantis,"

"I will declare war on the surface world!"

"Everyone on the planet will bow down before me!"

" _And Praise My Perfection!"_ All yelled out.

Aqualad leaned to his side meeting two hazel green eyes.

"Any bright ideas?" He asked.

"Just one, try to keep up," Beastboy replied.

"So if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?" BB asked sneering at the criminals before him.

" _I am!"_ They all replied before confusion passed across their faces.

"Come on," Aqualad said, "you can't all be the best. One of you must be better than the others." He stated. The staffs were all glowing electric gold now.

"I am the original, I am the best!"

"You are not the original!"

" _I AM!!"_ They all yelled out. And soon Beastboy and Aqualad watched as the Tridents all fought with fists and staffs destroying each other in the pursuit of perfection. Both teens cringing at some of the low blows they took until they were either dead or knocked out.

"Great idea," Aqualad stated.

"Kinda got it from you, now we just have to stop those clones from hatching," Beastboy said and turning both read as the dial went from three, two, one, begin.

" _Too late!"_ They screamed as the clones began to emerge. Both teens ran for water, ten Tridents hot in pursuit.

" _We can't let them escape. We have to find some way of sealing the exit,"_ Aqualad thought.

" _Right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit,"_ The green swordfish replied.

Both teens reached the mouth of the cave. Soaring past one orange submarine that was now blocking the exit, the sound of twin seismic blasters firing and collapsing the entrance, fusing the broken rocks into molten stone that cooled into one.

"All right!" Robin said over the intercom.

"Cool," Raven replied.

"Victory!" Starfire yelled.

"Boo-ya nice, repair job Tram!" Cyborg called, Tram was whooping in Phantom's compartment sitting on top of the controls, as he and Danny high fived one another. Both Beastboy and Aqualad floated by the ship.

" _Good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't be seeing anybody else for a long time."_

To this Aqualad couldn't help but smile.

* * *

 

Everyone was standing on the shore of Titan's Tower and silently Danny watched from the roof of the sub as Robin presented Aqualad with a Titan's communicator.

"As far as we're concerned, you're an honorary Teen Titan."

"Thanks," Aqualad said taking the small round device.

"We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks," Robin said.

"No problem, it's nice to know there's people up here I can trust," Aqualad replied.

"And it's good to know there are folks down there who know how to fix a hyper jet," Cy said he and Tram clasped hands. The fish engineer saying the mechanical teen's favorite catch phrase.

"Bye Raven, Starfire," Aqualad called both girls stuttered admiring how hot he was, their stares slightly freaking the young Atlantean out, until he stood next to Beastboy who was gazing out at the ocean a smile on his face.

"What can I say, dude, you're the best."

"Nah, you're the best," Aqualad replied to which BB hastily agreed promising his friend a race any time to prove it.

"Just try and keep up," Aqualad said smirking as he waved good-bye to the Titans before walking over to the sub where Phantom sat, the coils dully glowing.

"About earlier," Aqualad started shifting nervously.

"Don't sweat it. What you said was true. Besides, I was only dragged along for the ride," Phantom said a breezy laugh passing his lips, causing the Atlantean to relax and smile up at the white haired teen.

"And you were true as well, thank you for your advice, friend," and Aqualad leapt into the sea and disappeared.

Danny stared one more moment at the ocean, contemplating why he deserved to be called friend. After all, he had been very rude, but the moment passed when he noticed the Titans approaching.

"You guys really aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" He asked a sigh escaping his lips.

"That depends, normally you just disappear, but my guess is you're too weak to go anywhere else. So we're not leaving until you have enough strength to kick our butts out," Robin said sternly to which Danny merely laughed. His body beyond the point of pain.

"That would be nice, but even then you won't leave, so for now," Danny said as he extended his right arm, the bracelet a shining blue.

"Help me up, and get these god forsaken coils off of me."

Cyborg complied, and soon the six coils were off, falling into the sand with a soft thump. Danny collapsed, no longer able to walk. Hastily the mechanical man picked Phantom up and soon a mass of green swirling energy engulfed all of the team, and a second later they were standing in a white lab room. An eight foot tall portal carved into the wall.

Once over their shock, Danny explained how to open up the floor, and soon a small floating white pod with twin green engines on the side, its design crafted to fit through the portal with ease, was hovering above the ground. The metal door opening from bottom up to reveal the inside. Quickly, the Titans entered, noting the two rows of seats and the control panel covering the entire front of the pod and on the ceiling.

Beastboy, Raven, and Starfire all took to the row in the back, as Robin helped Cyborg lower Phantom into the middle seat. Cyborg took to the steering wheel. It was two whole minutes before Cy worked up the courage to ask.

"So uh, how do you open that door," He asked.

"Heh, you're not even going to ask where it's going to lead," Danny said his eyes feeling heavy, his aura steadily turning green. Unknowingly, the pure glowing green eyes now held shots of crystalline blue.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked, the thought never having crossed any of the team's mind. Danny merely smiled.

"To see a friend. Spectra-Speeder, activate ghost portal, set coordinates to locate the nearest door to the Far Frozen lands."

And with this the heavy metal doors opened to the otherworld. Green energy making the Titans stare into its swirling depths.

"I trust you know how to use a steering wheel?" Danny asked, after a moment of embarrassing stuttering, and a few choice words, Cyborg put the ship in drive. And the Teen Titans were off heading through the portal. Danny silently praying he'd be able to make it until they reached Frostbite.

 

AN: Read & Review 

 


	10. The Great One's Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans journey to the Far Frozen Lands.

**The darkness is eclipsed...**

 

_"Begin the End_

_The seesaw tilts from side to side, and then_

_Reset our lives, we can; begin again."_

_~Hunter_  

Titans Phantom 

Chapter10: The Great One's Mask

 

It had been well over an hour, the Titans all asking sparse questions when something caught their eyes. Overall, Danny had answered most of them, even though his mind bordered on unconsciousness and his eyes were closed, head resting on the back of the seat.

"So, why are there doors and then islands?" Robin asked as Cyborg flew past a giant arched doorway, a heavy bolted lock barring passage.

"Some doors lead to lairs, others passageways between here and the Human Zone. But most lead to different places in the Ghost Zone. The islands are created from either a ghost choosing to live there, or are created from the destruction of land in the Human Zone, for example Pandora lives in Greece," Danny answered, shifting to take the weight off his burning legs, he slid lower into the chair.

"Wait, so does that mean dinosaurs are here as well?" Beastboy asked amazed. Danny merely chuckled.

"Don't know. The Ghost Zone is so big, but sure, why not. You have to understand, there aren't many rules here. What's up might as well be down. All I know is that this place is the opposite of that which is alive. Even our sun is different. It rises in the west and sets in the east."

"So, everything here is a result of it dying in the Human Zone?" Robin asked, to this Danny shook his head.

"Please, don't be so self-centered, the Human Zone isn't everything you know."

Robin would have been offended by the answer if not for the smile crossing cracked lips.

"Sorry, I guess we're just having a hard time trying to understand," he snapped back his tone light.

"Don't, this place isn't meant to be understood," and with this Phantom fell asleep. His aura dimming, pale skin humming with electricity.

It had been well over an hour since they'd entered the Ghost Zone, and Cyborg was hesitantly heading in the direction that the flashing screen said to go.

"Dude, can't we go any faster?" Beastboy asked as he shifted, uncomfortable in the back seat much to Raven's displeasure. Starfire merely tried to accommodate the changeling.

"Ok, first off we're flying through a place that looks like Alice in Wonderland gone wrong. We have an unconscious ghost, whose in pain and clearly doesn't like us, and I'm being forced to drive stick without so much a clue as to how to even operate this machine! So sorry, I'm not going fast enough for you, _you little grass stain!"_ Cyborg snapped managing to glare at BB while dodging the floating doors.

Beastboy shrunk back apologizing quickly. The tension in the spectra speeder rose, Danny oblivious to it all as his mind began to draw him into the reality of dreams.

"Robin?" Starfire asked timidly, when he turned to look at her, she continued, "If friend Phantom is a ghost, and he said that this place is the opposite of alive, then how did he die?"

"The greater question is, how does he exist?" Raven spoke, the Titans all gazed down at their friend in worry and amazement.

* * *

 

The place smelled of smoke and crushed stone, sirens blaring loudly to a coming threat. One that had already happened before…or was it after? Danny didn't know. Wandering the streets of the city, his heart beat erratically in his chest. _This place?_ Cold dread swept through him, the place bent and twisted, it attacked with black flames, searing. The teen could smell his coppery blood that seeped into his tattered clothes, flowing beneath him onto the pavement. _Was he lying down?_ Danny felt blood bubble up in his throat, along with a scream he realized was piercing the air one octave lower than the wailing sirens.

He needed to _go,_ he had to run…they were…weren't they dead? _No_ … black bangs fell into his face, sticking to his forehead. Green eyes opened frantically when he felt someone pushing him down onto the stone.

"No!" Danny tried crying out, he couldn't _breathe_ , his lungs were moving too fast…to slow, he needed _oxygen_ he needed…he heard frantic voices above him. Sounding as if they we're coming from above water. Why didn't they pull him up? He couldn't _breathe_. He was drowning, panic took over, and Danny tried to lash out. But his body screamed in electric pain.

It felt as if someone had knifed him in the stomach. God, it _hurt_. His legs were convulsing uncontrollably, and the knife in his abdomen was spreading. Cutting deeper, sinking into him and moving. Strong arms were holding him in place, and Danny let out a strangled noise he couldn't recognize.

He needed to get away; he felt the knife stop sinking, ice cold needles in his neck took over. And suddenly the teen saw the faces shimmering just above the surface of the water. It was the Titans. They were watching him. Trying to reach him, and Danny felt his heart tighten.

_Why were they here? Couldn't they tell he was of no use?_ A crumbled building stood out in the fog. The remnants of a boiler discolored just inside. He saw Robin order something, and the arms disappeared. Leaving him to fall onto his knees in front of the burning hell that had once held his life. _How had he been standing?_ Danny watched as Robin disappeared, only to be replaced by Raven. Her hands glowing a soft silver, placing them just below his neck. It was a strange feeling, he could feel them, and yet he couldn't. His sixth sense told him they were there, but he couldn't feel her touch. Only the pull of pain leaving his body in a wave of heat, sweat beading his brows. Once done, he watched her form shimmer and leave, giving him a full view of the Ghost Zone. _Why were they here?_ Someone was speaking again, the voice controlled and stern, under-laced with barely restrained panic.

" _We need to hurry, Cyborg, floor it! Phantom? Can you hear me?"_ Robin asked drifting in and out, the words a garbled mess. Danny felt his breath catch in his throat, _god the pain_. His voice sounded raspy and hollow.

"Down to…when, snow," Danny let pure darkness take him.

The spectra speeder was deathly quiet. Cyborg tore through the Ghost Zone, hands bending the metal steering wheel.

"Wh-what was that?" Beastboy asked, his whole body trembling from what the Titans had all witnessed.

"I don't know," Robin replied shakily, looking to his friends. Phantom now resting his head on Cy's shoulder, his breaths short and even. The boy wonder turned his gaze to the three Titans sitting in the backset. Starfire was now in the middle, her hands down by her sides, Raven's purple eyes wide in shock and Beastboy trying to stop his desire to hide in the corner.

"Thanks, Star," Robin said. The alien girl merely nodded. Her hands trembling, red burn marks marring the tan skin. She had been the only one capable of keeping Phantom in place.

"Raven, can you…" Robin started to ask his voice snapping Raven back from whatever place she'd been, and gingerly she took Starfire's hands in her own, and began the healing process. Her violet eyes wide and unfocused. Once finished, Star gave her a brief thanks, and the team fell into silence once more.

* * *

 

" _Danny, in a fight, who do think would win, Cyborg or Robin?" A boy with a red beret asked._

" _Thanks. You know, for taking me flying," a girl with silk black hair said smiling, red dusting her cheeks._

" _You're my little brother. I'll always take care of you."_

" _Wait, you don't know who Cyborg is? He's the best Teen Titan ever!"_

" _Danny, I..."_

" _Danny!"The red head screamed in panic._

"Phantom?" Someone asked, their voice cutting through the voices of his loved ones. Everything felt like lead, his ears were stuffed with cotton, and he felt as if his mind no longer connected to his body. Still, Danny managed to crack open one eye, revealing a dull light green, the dilated pupil concealing the crystalline blue flecks. He saw the outline of someone he should know.

"You're okay. Whatever is happening, it's not real. You're going to be fine," the voice said. Sounding more like it was trying to convince himself rather than Danny. _What was wrong?_ He thought. His mind vaguely supplying the knowledge that someone named Robin was speaking to him. He didn't understand, everyone was just talking to him…Sam, Tucker and Jazz. They were just _talking_ , right? Danny's mixed colored eye slid closed. The dizzying fog pressing in, he felt sweat run down his temple. God, it was hot. But his skin was cold as ice, as if trying to keep himself from overheating, and yet freezing him all at once.

" _Danny, we'd love you no matter what."_

" _You're our son and we love you."_

_His parents were so stupid, how could they say that when he'd killed them._

"Phantom, listen to me, we're all here. Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Beastboy, and me, Robin. We're here and I promise you, we'll help you," the blur said, his voice pleading. People agreeing, voicing their opinions, trying to give him strength. _For what though?_

_Together we make six._ Danny thought, tears spilling anew down his pale face. _Was this why everyone was so worried? That he had been crying?_ Danny didn't even realize what he was doing any more. He only felt pain and loss. _What had he lost?_

_Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Mom, Dad…we used to make six._

Danny felt the tears this time. Running down his face. Branding him like hot knives. His thoughts were lost and rampant. He knew he was losing something, he needed to hold on, but he couldn't remember. His temperature was rising with the electricity humming below his skin. The first thump of a heart trying to restart.

Fire was lapping at every nerve. Every bone seemed broken like glass, cutting and slicing him from the inside out. And Danny tried in vain to hold onto what little reality he had left in his pounding head. People were speaking, but in the blackness of the dream he couldn't hear them. Danny never felt when the spectra speeder was hit with a powerful ecto-blast. A mechanical robot with flaming green hair in hot pursuit. The Titans didn't know that the green eyes which were closed; hidden beneath pure snow white hair, were now ice blue.

"What the…" Cyborg yelled as he steered the spectra speeder, dodging the flying rockets that the enemy was sending their way.

"I guess even the Ghost Zone has villains. Cyborg, can you make this thing go any faster?" Robin asked, the other Titans moving from their seats, trying to locate the speeder's weapons panel.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Cy said, trying very hard to throw off the ghost while making sure Phantom wasn't jostled.

"You will be mine, ghost child!" The enemy screamed. His voice echoing around the cabin, sending shivers down the team's spine. Cyborg spun the ship around a black door as an ecto-blast made contact. Splintering the wood, the force throwing the ship backwards.

"Hey!" Beastboy yelled gripping the edge of the seat while one arm pointed out the window.

"Snow!" He yelled in relief. The ship took a hit throwing the Titans forward, Robin catching Phantom's weak form.

"What did he say when we saw snow?" Robin screamed ignoring the vertigo. Cyborg shot the ship high into the sky.

_"You will be mine!"_ The ghost yelled.

_"Dive!"_ Raven screamed, her violet eyes wide in fear. Cyborg dived, and the ship headed straight into a spiraling snow cavern. Pillars of ice jutting out, meant to destroy anything that entered. It took all of Cyborg's focus as a pilot to dodge the traps. The snow reflecting pure white rays, blinding the team. The Titans clung to their seats, the momentum driving them forward, wanting to throw the teens into the glass window.

The exit was fast approaching, its light brighter than the sun. For a second, the Titans felt hope… they were going to make it. A deafening boom filled the air from the rocket that tore through an engine and blasted a hole into the side of the ship surprising them all. Starfire screamed, and soon the Teen Titans were blown backwards into the ship as it crashed into the snow fifty-feet outside the exit.

The ship jumped and screamed. Glass shattering and raining down on its occupants who no longer sat in the seats that were torn and warped. But they laid in the middle of the ship, on the broken metallic floor. Smells of smoke and heated metal filling their noses. The spectra speeder came to a stuttering stop.

Starfire was the first to awaken, heart hammering in her ears. Slowly she sat up to look at her friends. Every one of them looked as if they'd been thrown around like ping pong balls. Dark purple bruises forming on exposed skin, blood dribbling down shallow cuts and onto the glass covered floor. Looking down, Starfire could see she was no better off. Her tan skin littered with cuts and dark covered blotches, and she could feel the glass beneath her digging into her thighs.

"Robin, Cyborg, friends, can you hear me?" She pleaded and soon each Titan woke up, slowly taking in the pain as a cold breeze filled the ship.

"We're alive?" Beastboy asked as a wave of nausea swept through him. The changeling swayed, falling to the side. Raven caught him, worry in her eyes as she noticed something red and sticky clinging to the back of his messy green hair.

"Yes, we're alive. Phantom?" Raven asked ignoring her own wounds. Working instead on Beastboy's, who thanked her softly.

"He's o.k. I managed to shield him from the impact," Cyborg said sitting up, revealing Phantom. Every Teen Titan let out a sigh of relief before they heard the sounds of a jet pack getting closer.

"Titans, go!" Robin said and soon the teens were standing outside, ankle deep in freezing snow. The wind biting their open wounds, the green haired ghost approached.

Skulker landed not twenty feet away, a smirk plastering his lips, green machete sliding out of his arm.

"What's this? It seems the whelp has a new set of friends now. And interesting ones at that. Tell me, who's the leader?" Skulker asked menacingly never moving, the cold not fazing him in the slightest.

"I am. And trust me when I say you're not getting your hands on Phantom," Robin snapped. The Titans taking defensive positions around the side of the ship, weapons armed.

"Please, like Phantom needs people like you to protect him? But if it's a fight you want, I'll thoroughly enjoy mounting your pelts along with his above my fireplace!" Skulker said laughing manically. The Titans just looked sick. Beastboy actually swaying on his feet, although he couldn't tell if it was from his head injury or not.

"Um…o.k…ewww." BB replied. Skulker prepared to fire and the Titans tensed for battle.

"Titans, get ready to…"

"What do you think you're doing here, Skulker?" A voice demanded. The Titans spun around as five ghost yetis emerged from behind the ship. Their leader wearing a blue robe slung behind his shoulder. His eyes glowing ice blue and menacing, he and the others went to stand in front of the Titans. Skulker, who the Titans now observed, went deathly pale, his aura diminishing.

"I…" He stuttered, deep voice straining a few octaves. The leader of the tribe merely growled.

"Leave."

Skulker didn't need to be told twice, and soon he was flying away, back up the cavernous mountain. Once gone, Frostbite relaxed and he turned his attention back to the five teens that stood defensively in front of the spectra speeder. All of them trembling from the cold.

Frostbite could only smile gently at them, telling his warriors to return home. As they left, he watched indecision flash across the teen who claimed to be their leader.

"Relax, young ones, I will not harm you," Frostbite said watching as the team seemed to relax, but something was troubling him.

"Tell me, why have you taken the Great One's Spectra Speeder? The Ghost Zone is no place for those who don't know how to navigate it."

At the mention of the name Great One, Frostbite watched the team suck in their breath. Looks of hope and desperation crossing all of their faces.

"Are you an ally of Phantom's?" The leader asked approaching Frostbite, dried blood matting his black bangs.

"Yes. I am one of his ally's," the snow yeti answered. To this, the Titans all rushed forward, but the leader quickly cut them all off.

"Then please help him, he's been badly injured, and we’ve come seeking help."

Frostbite stood there in shock at the change of demeanor in the five teens. One moment, they had been strong and determined, now they stood here looking up at him broken and beaten. The snow yeti snapped out of it. And quickly he strode forward, his robe billowing around him, snagging on the wrapped metal of the ship, until he was bending down, looking into Danny's face. Whose eyes slid open, revealing pure ice…blue? Frostbite found he couldn't breathe. Gingerly, he picked the teen up in his arms, shielding Danny from the Titans' sight.

"Great One?" Frostbite whispered unable to believe it. Danny merely smiled, red-green blood sloshed down his mouth.

"H-hey F-Frostbite," Danny passed out. The next moments passed in a blur, and soon he and the Teen Titans were racing to the city. Phantom clutched protectively in Frostbite's arms, who could feel the stuttering of a restarting heart.

" _How long has he been like this?"_ Frostbite screamed his voice echoing loudly in the roaring wind. Danny found it too loud and to hot, but he couldn't move. Distantly, he heard a baritone voice answer three days. Danny wanted to laugh when he heard Frostbite curse. He never realized when he was placed on the ice table.

Everything was hazy, the pressure in his stomach electrifying and hot. It was trying to split in two again, and Danny let out a cry as he felt a vice like razor slide in between his vertebrae, resting below his neck. The pressure increased, and the white hot knives slid out from his body. Forming one shaky white ring.

" _The pressure isn't enough, his nerves aren't responding."_

" _God, increase the electric flow, and lower his body temperature to twenty-two degrees. We have to stop his heart."_

Something cold slid underneath his chest, and Danny vainly fought back. His body convulsing involuntary, it was burning cold and white hot, and all the teen could feel was agony. The razor pulled the bones in his neck sharply to the right. A scream filled the electrified air. His back arching upwards away from the unforgiving table. The ring stabilized.

Danny wanted to wail, to scream, to cry, to do anything that would stop this pain. It was never ending. The white hot thing clawed and ripped him through his bones, through muscles, through nerves... His neck was snapped to the left, the crack of soft white bones being heard more than felt. Slowly, ever so painfully slow, Danny felt the white ring separate and begin to travel up and down his body, which now lay limp on the cold burning table. His breaths were almost nonexistent.

" _He's stabilizing!"_

" _Quickly, we don't have a lot of time, mend the bones."_

Those were the last words Danny heard. The transformation finished, and the yeti doctors set to work. Strengthening the weak heartbeat of the raven haired teen that'd barely hung onto life.

* * *

 

The Titans were sitting in a well decorated ice room. Blankets resting on the furniture, the air a cool sixty-two degrees. They had been left waiting for three hours. Robin gazed at his team from beside the double paned glass window. Beastboy, who had a minor concussion, was sleeping quietly on the couch, an alarm set to wake him. Cyborg was pacing quietly while Raven and Starfire were both meditating in the middle of the room. However, when the doors opened, every Titan was up and alert staring at Frostbite when he entered. A tired look in his yellow blue eyes.

"How is he?" Robin asked walking forward, the yeti taking a seat in the big fur chair.

"Relax, the Great One will be fine. We managed to stabilize his form. He should be fully recovered in about three days."

The tension in the room instantly vanished, the Titans all collapsing wherever they were. Frostbite couldn't help but smile at how much these teens cared.

"Tell me, who are you, young one's?" Frostbite asked. To this Robin introduced himself and the rest of the team, who all nodded and smiled at the yeti. Whose robe was now a royal green, the gold coil dancing in the blue firelight.

"I see, and you are Cyborg?" Frostbite asked looking to the half robot who merely nodded sitting on the couch, his dark brown eye wide with slight surprise.

"Your idea of using an electrical current to contain the Great Ones power was very smart. It saved his life," Frostbite stated causing the teen to blush. Although, the snow yeti decided not to mention how the current had been the only thing keeping Danny in his ghost form.

"May we see him?" Starfire asked, her wide green eyes pleading to see their friend. To this Frostbite shook his head and stood.

"I'm afraid not. The Great One is still very tired and has not yet awakened. But once he is ready for you, I shall let you know. Until then rest, our scientists are already repairing the ship," with this he left, leaving the Teen Titans alone with their thoughts.

Raven was the first one to speak, her thoughts finally boiling over.

"Robin, there's something you should know about Phantom," she said and with that, she had the Teen Titan's full attention. Raven dove in, detailing what she had seen back on the spectra speeder.

* * *

 

Frostbite walked through medical wing of the science department. His feet carrying him to the room he wanted with the ease of familiarity. He pushed past the white door and entered, where a yeti nurse stood at the foot of Danny's bed. She had slim shoulders, her face was narrow and sharp, and she was wearing a one shouldered dress clasped in gold around her thin waist.

The nurse's pale grey eyes met Frostbite's before she nodded and set back to work. The snow yeti took up a chair next to Danny's side, watching her adjust the machines and open a new IV. Soon he was alone with the teen, the charts back at the foot of the bed, the only sounds coming from the heart monitor, and the slow, even breaths rolling off Danny in waves.

"We almost didn't make it. Oh, Great One, what has become of you?" Frostbite begged, he only received silence in return.

* * *

 

"So what you're saying is that those reactions might have been memories back on the ship?" Beastboy asked shock clear on his face.

Raven merely shook her head, confusion in her eyes. "I don't know. Everything was so messed up, I was just kind of _there._ I don't even know if what I saw was real," she said rubbing her temples the feeling of a headache coming on.

"But every scream, every cry, could have been a memory?" Star asked her eyes brimming with tears. She remembered Phantom begging for it to _stop_. Raven bowed her head. Robin held the alien girl close as she sobbed into his arms.

" _St-stop, please. I just want to…stop."_

Blearily, Danny opened his eyes to the blinding florescent lights. He heard the sounds of a weak but steady heartbeat and wondered if this meant he was alive. Slowly, he sat up, body aching with exhaustion, and Danny nearly collapsed back onto the heated white sheets and give into the desire of sleep.

"Great One? You are awake," Frostbite said, to which Danny merely groaned, and turning his head, he was met with relieved pools of yellow blue.

"Am I alive?" Danny asked, voice shaking. Fevered memories of drowning in watery fire filled his mind. Frostbite placed a cold, soft hand on the teen's face, mindful of his sharp claws, and ruffled the matted raven hair.

"Yes, welcome back, Great One."

Fat droplets then fell down Danny's ivory skin, as he wound one shaking hand around Frostbite's arm. Burying his face into the coarse white fur. And for the life of him, Frostbite never wanted to let the sobbing teenager go. But Danny would never remember if these were tears of happiness or ones of sadness.

"Your heart is steadily getting stronger. It appears that your body is finally beginning to stabilize itself now that your powers are no longer being disrupted," the doctor said. His face was slightly plumper than Frostbite's, who was sitting across from Danny, holding one thin hand in his. Danny drew comfort from it, for it seemed to be the only thing reinforcing that he was indeed alive. The claw shifted, drawing its cold warmth away from the teen. Snapping Danny out of the haze he'd fallen into.

"Great One, are you getting this?" Frostbite asked while ice blue eyes stared at him questioningly.

"Yeah, my heart's getting stronger blah, blah. I should be fine in three days."

The doctor snorted at this, giving Danny a glare that could rival even Jazz's.

"As long as you don't turn into Phantom. You need to understand, Great One, your ability to change rests in your nerves electrical responses. That blow to your neck disrupted the flow that allows you to create the balance needed between your human and ghost side. And as of this moment, your human body is too weak to stay in ghost form, and if you even try, I guarantee the results won't be pretty," the doctor said his eyes serious and dark.

"Why?" Danny asked, his black hair falling in his eyes and to this Frostbite answered.

"Because, Great One, you stayed in Ghost Form too long. Your body needed to rest, and so it began demanding you change, only it couldn't. It was plainly obvious when I found you. Your human heart which is normally protected in its ice core was beginning to beat."

Danny merely shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. Is that why every time I pass out, I turn human?"

Frostbite nodded, "Indeed. Believe it or not, Great One, your powers are derived directly from your human side, which is why you can still use your powers in human form. Granted your ghost side is stronger and easier to control. But for you, death is merely an extension of life."

"So me being dead, means I'm alive," Danny stated his head spinning from trying to grasp something that seemed to run between his fingers like water. Frostbite merely laughed at the look of pure confusion on Danny's face. He laid his hand on the teen's warm shoulder.

"Do not worry about it, Great One. Just don't use your powers for a couple of days, and you'll be good as new."

With this Danny nodded, the nurse came in and took his temperature which read a steady eighty-eight point one and his pulse a strong thirty beats per minute and steadily rising. Her eyes sparkled in approval.

"You should be fine now. Great One, if you wish to leave I advise you rest and try to get some sleep," with this she left placing a set of clean clothes on the chair beside Frostbite. For awhile Danny could only stare at the cleanly pressed white shirt, a single neon green strip running down over his heart, the dark washed blue jeans, and black combat boots sitting on the floor.

Danny didn't know what to do. And that's what scared him. He knew he should get dressed, find the Titans, take them home, and make sure that Fixit hadn't had a panic attack. But the normalcy of it all terrified him, and the treacherous hope that spread through his heart, begging him to get to know the Teen Titans threatened to tear down every shield, every fortification and every promise he'd made to himself after his loved ones died. Danny never even realized he was trembling until Frostbite placed a bracing hand on his back, waiting until the halfa found the control to stop the fear clawing through his long abused body.

"Great One?"

Danny let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"I'm fine, could you go get the Titans, I think we need to head home."

Frostbite merely nodded preparing to leave before he whirled around and placed a silver ring on Danny's finger.

"What was that for?" Danny asked looking at the small piece of jewelry.

"Just making sure your identity stays intact," he said and left.

Danny gave a huff of annoyance before he stood. His muscles pulling while his bones ached, particularly in his neck and chest. Slowly Danny exchanged his tattered human clothes for the ones sitting on the chair.

* * *

 

Walking down the hallway Frostbite couldn't help the smile cross his face. The Great One…no, Danny was going to be alright he still had a long ways to go, but the snow yeti had a good feeling about the ones who called themselves the Teen Titans. Before he even realized it, the ghost was standing in front of the guest room door and pushing it open he walked in to five teenagers sitting tensely on the furniture. All of them stood up immediately, their eyes serious and positively sick with worry.

"The Great One is awake, would you like to go and see him?" Frostbite asked. Robin's answer was curt, but the snow yeti took no offense. He could feel the emotions practically radiating off the teen. He led them down the hallway and soon they were in front of the door, pushing it open revealed Phantom tying the last knot on his black combat boot, his snow white hair unruly from sleep, the white shirt baggy. So caught up in the sight that for a moment the Teen Titans forgot that the person before them was a super hero and a ghost at all, he seemed so…weak, so human.

"Great One, the Teen Titans," Frostbite said as they all entered. Danny smiled softly as he stood up from the bed, his glowing green eyes bright and healthy.

"Thanks," Danny said to both Frostbite and the Teen Titans.

"No problem, man," Cyborg said his arm rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Starfire rejoiced at his recovery.

"Glad to see you're alright," Robin added his entire posture filled with relief.

Danny felt his heart flutter in nervousness and fear, causing him to sway slightly on his feet before he caught himself and shook it off. The action didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.

"We should head back now," Danny said not wanting them to ask what was wrong. The Titans merely stayed silent, Danny heading for the door.

"Great One?" Phantom turned to Frostbite.

"Yeah?"

"Your ship should be repaired in two days time," Frostbite said vanishing from the room and startling the Titans. Danny huffed his thanks and looked back to the Titans.

"Well, aren't you coming?" He asked, and quickly they followed.

"So, where are we going?" Beastboy asked as the team followed Phantom through the hallways.

"We're not going anywhere. I'm taking you home then coming back here to pick up my ship," Danny answered his tone soft.

"Speaking of, how did my ship get destroyed?" Danny asked eyeing Cyborg who shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Some ghost named Skulker attacked, demanding you become a pelt on his wall," Raven answered blankly, every other Titan shuddered at the thought. Danny couldn't hold back the laughter at their reactions.

"Oh, man, you guys were defeated by Skulker?" Danny gasped out his eyes watering.

"Hey, if it's any consolation, it was _your_ ship that didn't hold up!" Robin snapped his face beat red.

"Whatever, I guess since the treaties gone he would be hunting me now," Danny chided his glowing green eyes still holding in the laughter. Those harmless words sparked a memory in Robin.

"Hey, Phantom, earlier back at the theater, that one ghost mentioned something about a treaty, what does that have to do with you?"

For one moment the team thought Phantom wouldn't answer. His glowing green eyes fighting an inner battle before he hesitantly began to speak.

"The treaty was created stating that as long as I never entered the Ghost Zone, minus visiting Clockwork, the ghosts wouldn't attack the Human Zone anywhere within the state I was living in."

"Why was it created?" Robin pressed his curiosity getting the better of him, but Danny's mouth clamped shut and he refused to answer. The rest of the walk to the main lab was quiet and strained. But once they entered the massive circular room Phantom visibly relaxed.

"We're here."

The Titans looked around the room filled with machines in confusion as Danny made his way up the stone dais, where hovering above a pedestal an ancient scroll rotated in a lulling circle.

"Um…dude, how do we get home?" Beastboy asked, the Titans following Phantom up onto the dais. Danny merely smiled and told them to grab hold of the scroll.

"Infi-map, take us to Titan's Tower," he said and with this, a force latched onto each member's wrists and pulled, the map yanking them forward, a path drawn out into its green cast sky. The Teen Titans and Danny were speeding off through the Ghost Zone flying towards a portal, hovering right above an ancient castle with gears turning all around it. Danny couldn't help the chuckle that passed his lips as they entered the swirling green energy. And soon they were falling from the ceiling of the Tower's living room the portal remaining open. Danny was the first to recover. He pulled himself up and out of the tangled mess of limbs.

As the Titans all stood brushing themselves off, Danny couldn't help the stab of pain his heart felt at the thought of leaving.

"Well, now that I can kick your butts again, see ya," he said preparing to open the map.

"Wait!" Robin called, and before Danny could protest, he handed him a yellow and black communicator. The white haired teen was stunned speechless.

"You said we wouldn't leave you alone no matter what, well you were right, we won’t." Robin let go of the device, a smile on his face as his team stood behind him.

Silently, Phantom turned pocketing the device, he didn't know what to say, and he was afraid to react. So he simply turned, instructing the map to take him back to Frostbite’s. And as the map pulled him back up and into the portal, Starfire caught a glimpse of something that sent her mind reeling. For there, stretching from wrist to elbow, was a long white clawed scar, exactly like the one adorning Danny Fenton’s arm. Phantom was gone in a second, the green portal closing, leaving Starfire standing there wondering if what she’d seen was even real at all.

* * *

 

It was early Wednesday morning when Danny finally made it back to his house. Walking out of the black door into the living room, he felt his heart hammer beneath his breast when he couldn't find Fixit.

"Well, it's nice to see you’ve finally returned," Fixit said causing Danny to jump and face the robot sitting in the kitchen, a book open on the table, a glass of hot oil steaming in a mug.

"It's nice to see you didn't have a panic attack," Danny replied tiredly. Taking off the silver ring his appearance changing, silently he made his way to sit on the counter top. Fixit merely scoffed at the badly delivered remark and watched the teen's blue eyes begin to slip closed.

"Please, I would never show my emotions in such a way…besides, a man showed up and said you were fine," Fixit stated his ocean blue eyes carefully gauging Danny's reaction. The teen's eyes opened slightly trying to focus on what Fixit had just said. But Danny was quickly losing the battle of consciousness. The adrenaline long since passing from his system, and his body reminded him of the fact that he needed to rest.

"Who came by?" He asked his words slurring slightly.

"I'm assuming it was a ghost. He was blue with red eyes, a scar running down one, and he carried a calming demeanor, he had a pendulum on his chest and a staff which held a ticking clock. This ringing any bells?" Fixit asked as he got up from the table and lifted Danny up, carrying him to his room. The teen merely mumbled something that Fixit realized was a name, and even before the robot laid Danny down onto the light blue covers, the teen was already asleep. Fixit merely sighed, pulling the dark blue comforter up to the teen's chest before he floated out of the room preparing to open the store, his heart immensely grateful that Danny was finally home safe, because even though Fixit wouldn't admit it, he really almost did have a panic attack.

Everything was beginning to change. In the darkness of sleep, Danny knew this, but he felt something coming. It was the same thing that always came and fear gripped his heart, he needed to go…they were…weren't they dead?

"No, stop…please, I want to…stop." Sweat covered him as he ran, trying to get away from the smell of ash and stone. It was coming, Danny began to fight, and he needed to do something…was this real? They were almost here, the raven haired teen didn't know who, but he knew he'd be too late. He stumbled in the dark, a strangled cry of fear passing his lips it was almost…everything stopped.

Hesitantly, Danny opened two blue eyes and instead of seeing the pile of blood and ashes, he was standing in the middle of the central Park in Amity. The leaves were swaying, rolling sound waves like the ocean, and the stone fountain was showing the reflection of the thousands of star's in the night sky. The air was cool, when Danny felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. He tensed knowing who it was even before he turned to see Sam's amethyst eyes.

"S-Sam," his voice was a strangled sob. The Goth girl smiled, pulling him in for a fierce hug, the ones she'd always given Danny whenever she'd been alive. Danny couldn't stop the tears pouring down his face as he buried himself in the crook of her neck. The smell of lilies and soft jasmine filling his senses.

" _Danny,"_ She replied her voice soft and constricted, fighting back the tears. She'd always hated crying. And Danny suddenly knew why, it was so very taxing.

"Sam, I thought…this isn't happening, you're not here."

Sam cut him off from his rambling, her hand pressed up against his lips, she smiled, breathing in the scent of fresh snow, she'd never told Danny that's what he'd always smelled like.

" _Danny, it's alright, I know. You don't have to go back there_ ," She said, and while dread filled Danny at the thought of _there_ , he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Sam, I can't. You know I can't," he whispered, and it was the truth. He was clinging onto something, but he didn't know what and it was hurting so badly. He yelped when he felt the toe of one combat boot connecting to his shin.

" _You will listen to me you infuriating…you won't go back. I'm giving you permission to never set foot in that awful place, got it?"_ She said, fear and determination entering her voice even though she knew it was an impossible task, she wouldn't give up. Danny could only nod for fear of the steel toed boot. He watched a smile spread across those violet lips, and soon Danny found himself smiling too, even though his heart clenched painfully in his throat.

" _Good, now I have to go. Don't you dare do anything stupid while I'm gone, Fenton,"_ Sam said a look of sad irritation passing over her face.

"What? Where are you going? Sam?" Danny cried out as the night time sky seemed to take her away, leaving the white haired teen screaming by the fountain, he never realized when he'd changed.

"Why? Sam, why can't I go?" His voice was hoarse from the plea. He heard the wind cry.

" _It's o.k. we're all still here. Danny, you don't have to go back to that place. Promise me you won't get stuck in that nightmare,"_ Sam cried her voice carried on the leaves waves.

Danny's knees gave out from underneath him. He couldn't breathe, he was drowning. It hurt, the hollow cries of his soul wishing to follow his family.

"I-I promise," his voice was a strangled whisper as he wrapped his arms around his shaking chest which threatened to break open. God, he hated crying.

" _Good, love you, Danny,"_ she whispered lovingly, then Sam's presence was gone and Danny woke from the dream his body curled into a ball, the blankets a tangled mess, his black unruly hair falling down into his pure green eyes. Hiccupping sobs passed his lips before he managed to say those drowning words.

"Love you, Sam."

Everything was changing, and as he lay there sobbing, arms wrapped around him so tight he couldn't breathe, Danny had made a promise, one that he would keep. The only problem was, he couldn't remember what the promise was for, and that only made breathing so much worse.

 

 

AN: Read & Review

 


	11. The Masks of Two Heroes: Part One & Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of Danny's masks is crumbling. Robin has a decision to make.

**Now I see things but they're far from clear...**

 

" _Although, I know it's unfair I reveal myself one mask at a time."_ _  
 _ **~**_ _Stephen Dunn__

Titans Phantom

Chapter 11: The Masks of Two Heroes

 Part One & Two

Slade sat high up on his thrown, the pendulums in the background turning nosily in their disharmonious state. It was dark, cast in hues of black and melted gold, with its master watching the screen from the camera well placed on the beach. It was zoomed in such way that it caught the movement of five teens looking tired, but relieved as they entered their Tower after attending to a minor bank robbery with some worthless criminal. Well this just would not due, the man thought. His plans were already in motion; he'd leaked the information into the Underworld, now, all he had to do was wait. But Phantom was not among them, and Slade had no way of finding the teen…well almost none. His one black eye drifted over to the side where the screen displayed Danny's bookstore. A smirk plastered itself on the man's hidden face. It was time to test the waters.

* * *

 

It was half past five when Danny managed to untangle himself from the covers. Slowly, he sat up, feeling the fuzzy white carpet sink between his toes as he stood and headed for the bathroom. The lights were too bright and the hot water did nothing to sooth the dull ache still pulling at his spine, but as Danny changed into a deep sea green turtle neck with baggy grey washed sweatpants, what caught his attention were his eyes, which were red rimmed and cheeks slightly puffy from tears earlier shed. It made him look…younger. He looked fourteen again, not sixteen. The teen quickly pushed all thought from his head, opened the door and headed up the wooden steps into the store.

Fixit had been handing a girl a strawberry muffin at the small café when he spotted Danny move to sit behind the chestnut countertop. His head resting lightly on one hand, blue eyes hidden beneath raven black hair.

"You should still be asleep," Fixit said floating over to the countertop, taking a seat next to the teen. Danny let out a snort.

"Couldn't, and besides, I won't be able to sleep tonight as is. Hey, what day is it?" Danny asked noting the afternoon sunlight drifting in.

"It's still Wednesday, you've only been asleep for the day. Now, do you mind telling me where you've been for the past three days?" Fixit asked stressing the 'three days' part while shooting his best glare at Danny, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But first, tell me how yours went."

The teen had been surprised to learn of everything that had happened in only three days. He felt proud that Fixit had managed to ward off angry shoppers, place orders for twenty different people per day, and reorganize the upstairs comic book section to fit in Mega Monkeys, and add new seats in the lounge for the growing Geek Club which is what they called themselves. Danny found that part pretty hilarious.

Overall, he couldn't help but smile as his friend informed him of the daily life Danny had grown accustomed to. It also helped when Fixit told him how much revenue they were bringing in from the comic book and gothic poem collections. But with one questioning glance, Danny began to explain what happened the night he left to patrol the city for the first reemergence of ghosts.

At first, the raven haired teen was hesitant to speak on what he'd been feeling when he realized he'd been trapped as a human in his ghost form. Or how he'd woken up in Titan's Tower with the five teens looking down on him like he was the most important thing in the world, a sharp pain digging into his neck.

Fixit hadn't been to happy when Danny explained that the Titans took him on a mission in order to monitor his uncontrollable powers. But was glad at how the Titans all bravely entered the Ghost Zone for him in order to get to Frostbite. And for the first time in over a year, Danny felt himself beginning to open up. Pushing himself to go beyond the world he'd shut himself in. Once finished, Fixit sat on the stool next to him lost in thought, watching while Danny told a customer where to find the books on Ancient Roman literature. Finally, after much deliberation the robot spoke.

"So since you were human, breaking your neck directly interfered with your powers."

"Probably," Danny said sitting back down, "but my powers most likely were already screwed up from the Puppet King since he tried to drag out my soul, which my powers are directly tied to. My bones snapping just made it worse…o.k. make that a lot worse. I'd probably be completely dead now since my body couldn't change back," he said rubbing his neck nervously. The simple words _" by being dead I'm alive"_ ringing in his ears. The confusion and fear in Danny's ice blue eyes did not go unmissed by Fixit. He knew the teen was still holding back, Fixit let out a frustrated sigh.

"I see," and with this he let the subject drop.

* * *

 

Robin was staring at a simple article written by Harriet Chinn for the Harold News. It had never been released, but mysteriously turned up on the internet after she'd been let go from the prestigious company. It was bold, and on it the picture of a ghost and a man in an orange hazmat suit were fighting it out. The caption, 'The Wisconsin Ghost, the Eye Opening Experience'. It was the exact same ghost who they'd seen at the theater, the one who'd called Phantom his son.

 Although, Robin was sure Phantom hadn't heard that, and the Titans were all pretty sure the ghost called Plasmius wasn't Phantom's father. Simply due to the pure look of hatred in those glowing green eyes. But still, the question was why? Why was Plasmius going after Phantom? First in Wisconsin, when Harriet briefly said there was another ghost present, one with glowing green eyes and snow white hair, then Amity Park, and now here.

Was the vampire ghost really that obsessed? Why did he want Phantom as his son, and how far was he willing to go? All of these questions were turning through Robin's mind, but the most troubling question was, how is Danny Fenton involved in all of this? For it seemed that wherever he went Phantom followed, and wherever the ghost teen went, Plasmius followed. And then there were the whole separate questions for Phantom himself. Not to mention Danny. All in all the boy wonder found his mind staring at a triangle of questions, with no answers, and no way to connect the dots. So focused on the matter at hand, Robin nearly missed the flashing red monitor on the computer indicating the possible whereabouts of Slade's next attack. Quickly, the teen opened the file and read the chatter of the Underworld.

* * *

 

Danny and Fixit had just finished closing up shop. It was around seven-thirty, the red sun filtering in through the windows, casting the shop in a beautiful array of browns and gold. Slowly, Danny made his rounds through the shelves, reorganizing and picking up books left on the seats, as he moved through the stacks he never noticed the shadow following him.

Slade watched, his eye picking apart the teen's movements from his relaxed posture to the way his muscles rippled beneath the long green shirt. The man couldn't help the smirk cross his face while watching Danny who steadily seemed to tense, ice blue eyes beginning to scan, unknowingly looking for something that made his sixth sense scream out in nervousness.

"Danny?"

Said teen spun to face Fixit, who floated down the aisle his blue eyes bright with confusion.

"Is something wrong?" Fixit asked noting the teen's stiff posture, his legs set in such away he looked ready to jump ten feet in the air. Slowly, the muscles loosened, and Danny relaxed, running a hand through black hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine. There something you need?" Danny asked placing a book back on the shelf.

"Yes, we have run out of food, and I am preparing to go restock. I just need you to check over the list and make sure everything's there," he said extending his arm, the list resting lightly in his long spidery fingers. Danny took the list, scanning it over, a slight frown on his face. Once done he handed it back, glaring fake daggers at Fixit.

"You're never going to let me eat Pop-Tarts again, are you?" He replied the question more of a statement. To this the robot smiled broadly.

"Never."

Danny sighed. "Fine, I hope they've run out of Penz Oil," he said, Fixit merely rolled his eyes and promised he'd buy real pastries. The compromise worked, and the robot left, leaving Danny smiling as he continued his rounds, brushing off his earlier fear.  Until he heard the creak of the wooden railing.

Danny coiled like a snake, his eyes snapping up to where Slade stood balancing on the strong wood, one eye glistening maliciously.

"Come now, Danny, I'm not here to fight," Slade said watching Danny's frame shake in anger, only his fists seemed to hold a slight tremble.

"Then why are you here?" Danny spat his voice strong, even while he felt fear clawing at his throat.

"For information, tell me, do you know what these are?" He asked throwing down a small screen which Danny caught with ease, immediately recognizing the three disks being displayed on it. They were a part of DALV's scientific center. One of Vlad's more fruit-loopy plans, each disk contained different sectors that were in the industry.

 The first disk lined in red contained experimental testing on the chemical Xenothium for weapons and energy supply in competition against Wayne Enterprises. The second disk in blue held the new engineering plans for the construction of a fusion chamber. But the last disk, the one lined in green, made Danny's heart drop, for that was the disk that contained all of the knowledge on the structure of halfa's and ghosts molecular structures, with the Fenton's guide to building anti-ghost weaponry.

It was the disk Vlad had sworn to destroy after Danny learned about it. Apparently the fruitloop lied. Not that he hadn't expected that, letting out a growl Danny threw the display screen back in Slade's face. The man merely chuckled not knowing that the teen's clenched fists were an attempt to control his powers.

"What's the matter, afraid?"

"Go to hell. You're not getting those disks," Danny spat, preparing to leap.

"Oh, but my plans are so much greater than that. Besides, there's only one disk I'm particularly interested in," he said and with this Slade jumped into the stacks barely missing the fist aimed at his chest. Danny stood on the wooden railing catching his breath, looking at the spot Slade had disappeared too.

"Damnit," Danny said. He needed a plan, one that involved getting a hold of the green disk– that contained all of Danny's parents' stolen blueprints mind you– and all of Vlad's own research. But first, he needed to know where the disk was being kept. Jumping back onto the first floor the teen raced for the phone. He somehow misplaced his cell phone about a month ago, how he had no idea, but quickly Danny dialed, it was only on its first ring before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Fixit?" Danny asked.

"Who else would I be?" Fixit asked lightly.

"Normally, I'd say something witty or snarky back, but right now we have a big problem," the teen replied instantly catching the robots attention.

"What do you need me to do?" Fixit asked his tone serious. Danny could almost picture the look of determination on his face.

"Well, how good are you at hacking into a billionaire fruit-loop's insane security system?" Danny heard a snort of amusement and knew they were off to a good start.

* * *

 

Robin and his team moved into position. Waiting silently in the dark room, one red disk rotating like a prize on the podium as the man dressed in black and bronze jumped down through the air vent, a full mask covering his face. Robin appeared from the shadows, a scowl on his face.

"Tell Slade if he wants this, he can come get it himself!" He sprung into action, his leg kicking the thief square in the chest. The fluorescent lights turned on, revealing the five Titans in the large computer built room which quickly filled with enemies. They leapt into action.

Danny and Fixit were down in the lab. The robots red eyes focused on the computer, hands flying across the keys, green encryption codes falling prey to his masterful mind. Danny couldn't help his nervousness, his patience wearing thin, his foot began to tap incessantly.

"You know, keeping rhythm won't make me go any faster," Fixit said his fingers never faltering. Danny blushed, foot going silent.

"Sorry. You almost done? I really need to know where the fruitloop stored the green disk."

Fixit shook his head.

"Almost, Masters has some pretty hard firewalls. Not to mention the viruses encoded designed to infect my system. Why did you let him keep such a thing?" Fixit asked, the fourth wall broken. Danny frowned.

"I didn't. I watched him destroy it along with the lab, besides I was a little preoccupied to double check," Danny finished his hair falling in his eyes. Fixit paused momentarily before he typed in the final code.

"I'm in, now to search the main frame of DALV's in Jump City," Danny sighed in relief as Fixit got to work.

The Titans were being overwhelmed by the hoard of men attacking, their weapons fired burning golden beams that severed whatever they hit. Robin barely made it in time to pull Star out of the way of a falling flood light, both froze as three men prepared to fire. The teens jumped slightly when a giant square computer, roughly six feet tall, slammed into them. Cyborg brushing off his hands, a smile on his face.

"Amazing what you can do with computers these days," Cy said jumping back into the fray.

Fixit paused, his red eyes raised in surprise.

"What?" Danny asked.

"The central DALV Company is under attack."

Panic flashed across the teen's face.

"Is the disk there?" He asked fearing the worst.

"I can't confirm, so far I've only narrowed the search down to five buildings that seem to be missing information. All of which run on a separate system, meaning that if I'm not there, I can't hack their system," Fixit said his eyes turning ocean blue, a frustrated frown on his face. Danny raced out of the room heading for the training area, the robot quickly followed.

"Fixit, I need you to design a hard drive that'll allow you to hack and download all the information from this location. I can't risk you going into battle and getting hurt, got it?" Danny asked as he entered the room and headed for the black ninja outfit hanging on the wall.

"I understand," Fixit watched as the teen pulled on the uniform, put the sword on his belt, snatched up a Fenton phone and left.

Raven dodged another attack. The men were becoming more violent. She pulled up a dome black shield as the attack hit her square on. She could only stare in horror at the two deep gouges in the metal ground that would have cut her in half. Slade wasn't fooling around, he really wanted them dead. And what was worse was that these men, if they were men, held no emotional distress at what they were assigned to do.

She looked up to the charging man; a fist aimed at her face, the thin black shield was an automatic response. Her mind taking over in its desire to defend. Raven hadn't expected him to take out her legs, she hit the floor with a thud the man looming over her, weapon aimed at her heart. It crackled with energy, the green ram slammed into the goon with such force Raven was sure Beastboy had shattered the guys' bones. She stood up, eyes wide at a smiling changeling.

"You owe me big time!" He said in a sing song voice, repeating the phrase even as another goon ran from behind him, the charging of his weapon the only warning.

"Wahh!" BB screamed a black computer sheet slammed into the attacker, who dropped like a fly. Sheepishly, Beastboy turned to Raven who now looked annoyed, hands on her hips.

"Heh, call it even?" He asked.

Cyborg and Starfire were firing at the man in the black bronze mask who dodged with ease flying over them, snatching the red disk and running down the hall. Robin let his boomerang sore knocking the disk out of his hand.

"Mine!" Beastboy shouted, his long anteater tongue wrapping around the chip. He felt the crunch of a boot and soon he let go, his now human eyes watering. The man taking possession of the disk and rejoined the group of five who all disappeared in the smoke bomb.

"That tasted so nasty," BB said.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled running towards the only exit, the team hot on his trail.

They ran down the hallway into the main area revealing six doors in its hex-like shape, everyone paused.

"Spilt up!" Robin yelled. Each one of the team members dashed through a double door. Robin looked down at the barred drain in the center of the room leading to the sewers, and he was going down. The water splashed up his knees as he landed, the dim light catching the movement as one man dashed around the corner. Robin gave chase, dodging the attacks in a flip and roll, countering with his own metal disks, which were easily destroyed. The man ran down another tunnel throwing a grenade at the entrance. Robin watched through the small window of rocks and pipes as Slade's man disappeared down the tunnel. He approached a dead end and took out his weapon, firing a steady golden beam cutting a wide circle revealing the outside world and a hundred foot drop into the sea. Starfire floating in the air worry on her face.

"I am asking you nicely to stop running and…"

She never finished her sentence when he fired, Star's tough skin being enough to handle the attack, but the pain encroached on her vision. Soon she was falling, staring blankly while the man jumped, his boots activating, rockets propelling him upwards. Robin raced forward through the tunnel not hesitating to jump, one grappling hook wrapping around Starfire, the other around the man's shoulders pulling him down. He fell like a rock before jerking forwards, speeding towards the shore as Robin screamed from behind, dragging Starfire along. They crashed on shore, and Starfire woke up to the feeling of a fish in her mouth before spitting it out. She jumped when she heard Robin's voice.

"Now talk! Who's Slade? Why does he want this chip? And why are you working for…" Robin trailed off as he yanked the mask away revealing the TV screen of the robot and Slade staring at him through the monitor.

"Excellent work, Robin," Slade said a gear turning in the back ground.

"Slade," Robin growled.

"Really, I think your skills are improving," he said his tone serious.

"No more games, what do you want?" Robin snapped out. The robot lifeless in his grip, Slade shook his head in disappointment.

"But you do lack patience. If you're really so curious about my intentions perhaps we should meet, face to face?" He said his tone calm and never changing.

"Tell me where you're hiding and I'll be there in a heartbeat!" Robin snapped, Slade merely drew back.

"Patience, Robin, patience," the screen died in a fireball of electricity, none of which Robin could recover. Robin stood his muscles tense, his anger clear. Slowly, Star approached, forest green eyes concerned.

"Robin?" Was all she asked, but he gave no reply.

* * *

 

Danny had made it to DALV corporations just as the Titans were returning the chip. Quickly, he slipped into the shadows, Robin ordering the guards to never let the chip leave their sight. He watched as the Titans left, anger radiating from Robin which made Danny very nervous until they were gone. It was then he noticed the layout of the main hall, the hexagon fractal code in his parents designs, the sewer entrance representing the central memory key, the teen felt his blood boil.

That stupid fruitloop, it was like he was begging the government to come and discover how to build anti-ghost weaponry, very effective weapons at that. Shaking off his desire to scream and go ghost, Danny had to remind himself he wasn't allowed to transform for three painfully long days. So with some deep breathing and a few promises to beat the living daylights out of Vlad, Danny stealthily moved forward, down the hall to catch a glimpse of the disk. He practically sighed in relief when he saw red floating in the room, the guards positioned on either side.

Disappearing into darkness, Danny sat down, his ice blue eyes observing the entire room from above. His mind trying to sort through the facts. First, Slade obviously wanted only one chip and if Danny was right, it was the green one. Second, Slade was going after him as Phantom, the question was why. Third, by attacking here it meant he didn't know which building housed the green chip, Danny felt relief at that. Unfortunately, it meant he didn't know either. Fourth, since Slade didn't get the disk, it meant he was going to try again. All Danny had to do was wait here. But the one question that sent chills down the teen's spine was the look on Robin's face when he and the Titans walked away, leaving Danny with only one thought. Just how far was Robin willing to go to take down Slade?

* * *

 

Robin had locked himself in his second room, it was spacious if not for the papers littering the floor and plastered on the wall. The desk, lit by only one overhanging light, was scattered with broken weapons and papers filled with Slade and Plasmius. Two unrelated villains, yet Robin couldn't help but focus only on Slade. Pushing every thought of Phantom and Danny out of his mind, Robin got to work. Every taunt, every challenge, every praise rung in his ears.

"Who are you?" Robin asked frustration leaking out in the dark room, the sliding door opened filling the room with temporary light, Starfire entered hesitantly.

"Robin? I am wondering if you might wish to…"

"No," the teen answered with his face hardening, glaring down at the shattered mask on his desk. It took a second to realize who he was talking to, he began making amends but only that.

"…thanks. But I need to figure out why Slade wanted that chip," Robin said, for the first time turning to see Starfire's brilliant green eyes.

"Agreed. And perhaps if you were to…take a break the answer would be easier to…"

Again she was cut off, the smile on Star's face disappearing as Robin spoke the simple words "I can't," pain spilling through his well controlled mask.

"You almost got hurt," he said approaching where she stood just outside the door. "Next time it could be worse. He's planning something, I have to find out what," Robin finished his voice growing softer as his thoughts began to run through all manners of theories and facts, still he came up with nothing just a simple option.

"But Robin, I am sure…" Star tried again, but the boy wonder didn't even hesitate to close the door. The girl lowered her head in silent defeat. Robin looked at the lone desk sitting in the abysmal room, he'd made his decision.

It was well into the night when the alarm system went off once more, red lights flashing. Danny instantly straightened while the guards left the room. Silently, he slid out his sword, blue eyes searching when suddenly a being came into existence beside the podium. Shocked, Danny stood frozen to the spot his mind racing, this teen obviously wasn't dead since his ghost sense hadn't gone off, but how did he do that?

Calming his heart, the raven haired teen began to observe this new enemy. He had a skull for a mask, a red X on the forehead running down one eye and he dressed all in black, a blood red X placed over his heart, slashing downwards into his stomach, his belt looked pure silver, and held the highest technology along with his gloves and boots that would have made Tucker drool, not to mention the waist black cape made him appear bad ass. Overall, Danny had to give him credit, he looked like a villain.

So why had he suddenly decided to appear? Most criminals wouldn't dare go after technology this hot because it was too risky to fence, not to mention the tightened security. Although, since the guards were locked out, Danny guessed it mustn't have been too hard to get in here.

Red X grabbed the chip when the doors exploded, the two guards running in and instantly fired, quickly Danny slipped away. After all, there was only one exit now, and he needed to get there before this teen did. So he headed up.

The Teen Titans were waiting on the roof, Danny had barely made it to the shadows when they had appeared, only Robin was missing. Listening closely, he heard Cy's communicator go off, a video screen appearing on his arm.

"I'm working a Slade lead on the far side of town, sure you guys can handle this without me?" Robin asked.

"No problem," Cy said smirking the other's nodded, the transmission ended. Danny felt his phone vibrate. Reaching up to his ear, he turned on the blue tooth to his Fenton phone.

"You heard that?" Danny whispered to Fixit through the line, praying that Beastboy didn't have super hearing with those big pointy ears.

"Indeed. Robin is not there."

"Fixit, I want you to see if that lead is true. If he's chasing down Slade, I need to know where."

"Understood," with this Fixit hung up and Danny disconnected, the creak of metal doors could be heard, Red X emerged onto the roof. The Titans moved forward catching Red X's attention, Cyborg activating his sonic cannon.

"You working for Slade, tough guy?" He asked. His voice a growl as Red X tensed preparing for battle.

"Red X works alone," he said and with this he fired a blood red X from his palm and Cyborg returned fire, his sonic cannon hitting it dead on, the explosion cancelling the attacks out. Soon, Red X was dodging the attacks, and Danny watched as he alone took down each Titan. He launched attack after attack, covering Beastboy in red goo holding the teen in place no matter which animal he morphed into. He bound Starfire and covered Raven's mouth in X's. And with Cyborg he tapped into his computer system wired in his back and shut him down, leaving Cy to only yell profanities. It was then Danny had enough, as Red X began to run for the ledge of the building he moved from the shadows revealing his form and stopping the teen in his tracks.

"Who are you?" Red X asked his voice mechanically cautious. Danny's only reply was to raise his sword. They fought. Red's attacks all were being blocked by the swordsman. Slowly, Red X began to realize that the stranger was only on the defensive, soon he'd switch and this caused fear to spring in the teen's heart. Quickly, Red X made a dash for the ledge, he heard the swish of the blade cut through the air as he soared into the sky, twisting, he fired one burning X which hit its mark, but the strange swordsman only stumbled back instead of being thrown. Red X caught sight of ice blue eyes before he allowed invisibility to cover him, and he disappeared into the night.

* * *

 

Danny stood on the ledge, his sword grasped limply in hand while he tried to catch his breath, the smell of chemical Xenothium filling his nose. Danny let out a small growl, knowing he'd have a nice big bruise on his chest for the day, but the knowledge that if Red X had so chosen, he could have used that chemical to incinerate him instead gave him pause. This only filled the teen with more questions of who Red X was. Looking at the fallen Titans, only confirmed that Red X was someone who was not a villain. Slowly, Danny made his way over to Cyborg, placing his sword back into its sheath.

"Fixit?" Danny whispered.

"Don't worry, just speak normally, I've modified the Fenton phone to alter your voice.” Danny breathed a sigh of relief, stopping short when Starfire and Raven took defensive positions even though both girls couldn't fight. Danny held up his hands in surrender.

"Relax, I'm only going to help," Danny tried not to jump at the sound of his voice, for it sounded too deep and smooth. It reminded him of Dan only far less evil. Still it didn't stop the teen from mentally flinching when the Titans only held their ground.

"Why should we trust you?" Cy said sounding menacing even though he was face first on the pavement. Danny let out a sigh.

"Look, you can talk me through resetting your system, as soon as I free Starfire so she and Raven can help Beastboy. Or I can stand here all night and watch you four do the funny chicken."

"Hey!" BB yelled. The five teens all stood in silence for a minute before Starfire approached Danny, eyes studying his every movement.

"If you wish to help, then please do so."

 Danny nodded and pulled out a small ornate dagger, its handle as intricately carved as his sword. Carefully, he slipped the blade between her and the X and set to work. It was a tricky process, the red binding hard to cut without nicking Starfire, and in the silence all Titans observed Danny.

This teen looked like he'd stepped out of the feudal era in Japan: his black haori tied in a traditional silver knot, the same color as his long collar, black pants flowing out until being clasped by the black boots. His hands were covered in sliver silk almost looking white, the long black selves stopping just before his wrists. And a wrapped half black mask covered his nose down to his neck, the long material flowing down his back in two strips, revealing only two ice blue eyes which were hidden beneath the black monk hat, along with his midnight hair. With a last tug the material came free, and Starfire gratefully stretched her arms.

"Thank you…"

Danny merely shook his head. "Go help your friends." A flicker of disappointment crossed Star's face, but she did as instructed while Cyborg talked Danny through his systems. Fixit offering advice in the teen's ear. The growing suspicion of who Red X was weighing down like a weight in Danny's stomach.

* * *

 

"Rumor has it you’re interested in this," Red X said holding up the red chip. Slade merely stood his ground, looking back at the man on the screen. His gray eye emotionless to the man who managed to hack into his computer system. Impressive.

"I'm interested in many things Mr.?"

"X. Red X."

"Hm. Catchy. So are you proposing a sale? Or a gift?" Slade asked his half bronze mask hidden in the darkness, voice dripping in maliciousness.

"A partnership. I give you the chip, you cut me in on your plans," Red X said his eyes narrow.

"A partnership my, my… we are ambitious. But an alliance cannot be forged from one small chip, if you're going to win my trust, I'll require more," Slade said the challenge rising in his voice.

"Just tell me what you want."

Slade smiled beneath his mask.

* * *

 

It was early in the morning when the Teen Titans finally came home. All of them gathering in the kitchen watching Starfire cut chunks of red goo out of Beastboy's hair.

"I had no idea Red X would pose such a threat. I should have been there," Robin said his arms crossed behind his back.

"You bet you should have been there, look what he did to my doo! I'm lookin' at two months of bad hair days!!" Beastboy shouted while Starfire sat on the countertop cutting down BB's hair, making it spike out all over the place. Raven tried to speak, her face angry, the team followed her gestures to the X still wrapped around her mouth. What she wanted was clear.

"I don't know Raven, that's kind of a good look for you," BB said, Raven glared daggers.

"Hold still," Cyborg said while the rest of the team already began to cringe even before he ripped off the X. BB and Star screamed matching Raven's thoughts as the nasty red mark vanished from her light gray skin.

"Ow. Even if you had been there, it wouldn't have made any difference," Raven said her hand rubbing her slightly swollen lips.

"Dude knew exactly how to bring each of us down. I guarantee he had a gadget with your name on it," Cyborg said holding the little X in his hand.

"Agreed. You need not feel guilt. We are undamaged," Starfire said. She forgot about the scissors in her hands.

"Hello?!" Beastboy said waving his arms madly, a scowl on his face.

"Mostly undamaged," Star amended a blush on her face.

"And we are all eager to learn what you have discovered about Slade," she added her eyes shining with hope. Robin merely seemed to pull away his eyes hardening, his voice steely.

"Nothing, lead was a dead end. I should get back to work," he said and when he turned to leave what Star asked next made his blood run cold.

"Perhaps we should call Phantom, he could…"

"No!" Robin said causing the team to jump, his mind reeled for an answer."Sorry, Star, but I don't think that's such a good idea. He's still recovering, and didn't he say he was staying in the Ghost Zone while his Spectra Speeder was being repaired?"

"Yeah, Star, besides we still have that strange ninja guy to deal with," Cyborg said the team agreed and talked amongst themselves allowing Robin to slip away. Walking down the dark hallway Robin allowed his mind to wander. If Phantom had gotten involved no doubt he'd be exposed, but that still brought into question just who was that other teen, and why did Robin feel like he knew him?

* * *

 

Danny was pacing in the lab while Fixit added the last touches to the new device, with a final click and a soft beep it was finished.

"Here, this hard drive will allow me to hack and download any information from this location."

Danny paused, absently taking the drive and pocketing it in his long pants, he'd yet to change out of his uniform, and the only things missing were his hat and mask which were thrown haphazardly on a table.

"Thanks," Danny said a small smile on his face before it scrunched up in a look of frustration.

"Red X is still bothering you," Fixit stated, the teen let out a frustrated sigh and flopped down on the tile floor.

"No, it's Robin who's bothering me," Danny said while Fixit joined him on the floor, feet showing beneath the blue robe.

"You believe Robin may be Red X."

Danny nodded half-heartedly trying to deny his thoughts.

"What do you think?" Danny asked.

"I believe it's a strong possibility. The Slade lead was a false trail, and I found no evidence disproving your theory. Plus, if Red X truly were a threat, why did he not kill the Titans back on the roof instead of leaving them incapacitated?" Fixit asked. The teen closed his eyes and stood, heading over to the table to grab his gear. Leaving the robot very confused.

"I do not understand, if Red X is Robin, does this not make things better?"

"No, if anything it makes it worse," Danny said securing the black mask, heading out into the night.

* * *

 

The Titans burst through the main door leading to the living area.

"O.k. Robin what's the…" Cy trailed off not spotting the spiky haired teen.

"Robin?" Star asked as the teens looked around the empty room.

"You mean captain research, he's probably filling out note cards at the public library," Beastboy said tiredly, his eyes and ears droopy.

"I was."

"Arghhh!" BB yelled Robin appearing on screen.

"But then I spotted Red X pulling a robbery in the tech sector. I'm on it, get here as soon as you can." Robin disconnected leaving Beastboy agreeing to thin air, drool running down his mouth. Cyborg grabbed him by his purple uniform and pulled. "Arghhh!!"

* * *

 

Danny had managed to infiltrate two of the three remaining buildings and so far all he'd managed to do was watch tech scientists go about their boring day and get a new intern to spill coffee on her white blouse. Cursing his luck, Danny leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his frame nothing more than a streak in the night. He was heading to the tech sector where only a small branch of Vlad's 'legitimate' company operated, almost missing all of the Teen Titans chasing Red X down.

"Fixit, you there?"

"Yes."

"Looks like Robin isn't Red X," Danny said leaping up onto a small warehouse ledge overlooking the fight. A wave of relief coursing through him only to be shattered by Fixit.

"Are you sure? Because the Fenton phone is only picking up six sets of movement, and you're one of them."

"What?" Danny paled his eyes widening while he watched Robin get trapped in a red net.

"I'm fine, get X, go!"

Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beastboy left Robin behind heading down into the subway station, quickly Danny leapt from the building free falling onto the roof below, where he turned off the prerecording of Robin.

"Danny?" Fixit asked through the headset, he never replied.

The team entered the empty station, the smell of gasoline and cigarette smoke filling their noses. Cyborg switched the setting of his red eye.

"I've adjusted my ocular implant to scan at multiple sub harmonics in the EM spectrum."

"Kay….do you come with sub titles?" Beastboy asked, Cy clarified.

"My eye should spot him even if he's invisible."

It only took a second for Red X to strike, sending Cyborg skidding across the concrete floor sparks flying from his metal.

"It's him!" Raven shouted the Titans taking defensive positions watching Cyborg stand. Red X emerging behind him, attempting to hack into his systems once more, but the X only sparked Cy's back surging with electricity. He looked over to the now visible villain, smirking.

"You're gonna have to learn some new tricks, dog," Cy said throwing the teen to the other Titans who surrounded him.

"Surrender, we do not wish to fight you," Star said. Red X merely tensed on the ground, his feet preparing to leap, he looked at the girl.

"Sorry, I'm not through with you yet," Red X said jumping high in the air throwing his X's at Star, Raven protected the girl as she flinched away. Cy slammed his fist into the ground missing the man by inches. Again, Red X seemed to know every in and out of the Titan's movements. He knocked Cy and Star together, threw Raven into the heavy wooden crates. But the one who caught him off guard was Beastboy, his body slamming into him with the force of a truck, or in his case: a ram. As Red X caught his balance around the column, he swung back and hit the changeling square in the face. The force sent him flying, his head connecting on the railing with a crack. He fell down into the subway tracks.

Disorientated, Beastboy tried to stand, but his legs felt like a mushy mess, his head throbbing, and his eyes blurry, or was that from the growing light. Fear took hold of Beastboy as he realized where he was, and what was coming…the subway train. Beastboy only sat there his hazel green eyes wide, ears flattening to his skull, when someone yanked him by his collar dragging him up and out of the tracks, the train zooming by. Both teens landed on the other side of the station. The changeling got up slowly, his back hurting tremendously, but he pushed it aside and looked over to Red X. His eyes filled with confusion as he studied the skull masked teen.

"Dude, did you just save me?" BB asked his only answer was to get kicked in the chest, the train disappearing into the black tunnel. The other Titans quickly joined Beastboy staring at the stairs where Red X had fled. Starfire helped BB up.

"Beastboy, you are undamaged?" She asked.

"Yeah, who is that guy?" Beastboy asked, no one could answer.

* * *

 

Danny watched as Robin emerged from the subway station running down the alleyways, he followed high up on the rooftops jumping silently. Red X twisted down a path, disappearing into a run down building. Danny followed, thoughts centering on beating the living daylights out of the Titan. He only managed to reel in his rage when Robin activated a computer, the image of Slade popping up, his coal black eye appraising the teen.

"Impressive, Red X. I tapped into the security cameras to watch your performance, you treated the Titans to quite a show," Slade said. Danny felt his heart drop into his stomach, watching Robin agree, asking if the audition was over, holding up the red and blue disks.

"Patience, trust is easy to destroy, but it takes time to build. One last test, prove yourself and we'll meet to discuss your future," Danny's heart raced when he saw the image of the green disk appear, the address right below. The image abruptly cut off, the computer nothing more than static. The teen watched as Red X turned.

"Good," he said, hands coming up to the skull mask, and Danny's worst fears were confirmed when the mask came off, revealing that it truly was Robin under that mask. He'd still held the slight hope that it wasn't.

"It's about time we met face to face," somehow Danny knew that had originally come from Slade. Resisting the urge to confront Robin in person, Danny knew he had bigger things to worry about. Like getting to the green chip before anyone else. Sighing, the teen took to the roof, cold wind biting through his black clothes, the blade resting like a weight on his hip.

"Danny?"

"Yeah, Fixit?" Danny asked feeling a guilty pang at the worry in his friend's voice.

"You refused to answer me earlier. I take it Robin is indeed Red X."

"Yeah, I also know the location of the green chip and I'm heading there now. It'll take me about fifteen minutes if I push myself," he said and by pushing himself he meant without flying, which right about now Danny really wished he could do. Man, doctor's orders really stunk.

"How did you learn of its where a bouts?" Fixit asked, Danny leapt down onto a condo.

"Ease dropped on a computer conversation between Red X and Slade," Danny said like it was the most natural thing to do in the world. Fixit let out a soft growl.

"And what do you plan to do after we have the information?"

"Destroy the chip, why?" Danny asked his feet propelling him onto another building twenty feet away.

"If you destroy the chip before Robin arrives won't you jeopardize his life? After all, if that is the last chip, Slade won't be happy to find it gone, he'll more than likely attack. And without Robin's team to back him up since he's Red X…"

"Okay, I get it! Don't destroy the chip. I won't risk Robin's life, even though he does deserve a good beating," Danny mumbled under his breath, Fixit still heard it though.

"Danny!" He reprimanded though it was lacking any real fire.

"What? I've been having to play _stalk-the-hero-but-I'm-pretending-to-be-a-villain_ all day. Do you know how much I feel like Edward Cullen right now! It's friggin' awful," Danny said his voice rising and falling with every step he took. The other end of the line went strangely quiet.

"Fixit?"

"Why do wish to be this, Edward Cullen?" Fixit asked his voice serious, and so confused, Danny couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't. You know, never mind, I forget you lived under a dump for the last twenty years."

Fixit sputtered indignantly, "I was only down there for five."

Danny couldn't help but smile at his friend's reaction, he landed on another roof. Only ten more minutes away.

* * *

 

Four of the Teen Titans were staring at the massive layout of Jump City, two green dots flashing on separate buildings.

"Okay, that's where Red X has been, now we just have to figure out where he's going to strike next," Cy said as Raven typed in the new data onto the computer screen which processed and registered over twenty different possible locations.

" _Great_ ," Beastboy said looking at all the ground they needed to cover. The Titans stared at the screen in frustration.

"Robin!" Star exclaimed watching their leader walk into the living room carrying a box full of gear, his face stern and emotionless.

"Wonderful, our efforts to locate Red X will benefit greatly from your help," she said floating slightly off the ground in her joy.

"It'll have to wait. I'm close to a break through with Slade," Robin said heading up the stairs.

"More wonderful, perhaps we could be of assistance to…"

Robin disappeared down the dark hallway. Starfire's feet hit the soft red and gold carpet.

"Let him go. Not like he's been much help anyway, if Robin wasn't always a-w-o-l, X would be k-o'd by now," Beastboy said his frustration getting the better of him, but he raised a valid point.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Beastboy's right," Raven said.

"He never even asked us who the ninja was yesterday. Ya'll think maybe Robin's losing his grip?" Cy asked.

"No! Robin's grip is not lost. He works harder than any of you, he works to catch Slade before something terrible happens, he works to save us all," Starfire said desperately trying to make her friends understand what she witnessed on the shore after the fight in DALV labs.

"Yeah, that's why every time we need him, he disappears," Beastboy said his arms crossed over his chest, leaving Starfire with nothing to say because she knew both of them were right.

* * *

 

Starfire opened the door to Robin's private room. The same desk in the center, articles lining the walls and tools on the desk. Walking inside, she noticed that her friend was not here and that only made the fear in the pit of her stomach grow. For what if Cy, BB and Raven were right…

She picked up a shattered boomerang, "Robin, where have you gone?" she asked. A flash interrupted her thoughts as a small dark silver ball rolled from the desk and onto the floor, activating when the dropped boomerang hit it, turning on the hologram. Starfire stared in horror at Robin who was trapped in the red net.

"I'm fine, get X, go!" He said.

"Huh, Robin?" She asked walking forward when Robin repeated the phrase again and again. Form blurring in and out of focus. Star placed a hand through his transparent head and recoiled, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

"If you were not really there, then where were…" Star sucked in her breath the moment she knew where her friend was, and who he was pretending to be.

* * *

 

Danny moved through the building, dodging personnel and cameras with ease—which only served to make Danny's nerves stand on end. Entering the massive computer room he raced across the floor and picked up the chip.

"Fixit? You there?" Danny asked through the Fenton phones.

"Yes, you have the chip?"

"I do," Danny said taking out the black and blue hard drive, inserting the green chip.

"I'm breaking through the firewalls now," Fixit stated the hard drive humming quietly, blue lines turning a dark red.

"Downloading now."

Danny shifted nervously on his feet, blue eyes scanning the room for something out of place. He didn't know it was because Slade was watching him intently.

"I've completed the download."

"Thanks," Danny said placing the chip back on the podium disappearing into the darkness. Slade tilted his head, eyes narrowing, watching as the teen pressed his back up against the wall, waiting.

"Interesting," Slade spoke, Red X entered the room seconds later grabbing the green chip. Moving from the darkness into the shadowed light, Slade wondered how this would play out.

"Excellent work," Slade said watching the teen turn to face him, catching the movement of Danny behind him.

"Honestly, I couldn't have done better myself."

"So, do we have a deal?" Red X asked, Slade smirked when he saw Danny freeze in the shadows.

"Indeed, you and I are so very much alike. It seems, only natural that we should be partners," Slade said extending his hand even though they were on opposite sides of the room, he watched Danny tense.

"What are they for?" Red asked holding up all three disks, "I need to know what we're planning _partner_ ," he said stressing the last word venomously.

"Patience, you can't expect me to trust you with such sensitive information right away, can you, _Robin_."

The next seconds passed in a blur, the net snatching the disks from Robin's hand. Slade catching it, right as the cool metal blade pressed up against his neck. The lights came on, and all three of them were surrounded by Slade's robots.

"You?" Robin gasped, taking a defensive position watching the teen behind Slade shift slightly, illuminating his eyes.

"Drop them," Danny ordered, blade cutting through the neck armor with ease. Slade merely turned his head, black eye narrowing.

"What's with the hesitation?" Slade asked enjoying the anger ablaze in those crystalline blue eyes.

"Your blood will ruin my sword."

The man could have laughed at the insult, when the ground shook beneath their feet, the Teen Titans bursting through the roof.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg shouted. Slade twisted, blocking the sword and he sprinted down the corridor, Danny racing after him. Robin dashing after them.

A fist grabbed his cape.

"Gotcha!" Cy yelled as Raven and Beastboy fought off the robots. Red X struggled in his grasp.

"Let go, we have to stop him!" X yelled pointing to where Slade and the teen disappeared. In that moment Starfire appeared,

"No! Release him, he is…"

"Me!" Robin yelled ripping off the skull mask, the team froze. Cy's hand releasing his hold.

"Robin?" He asked, but the teen didn't hear him for he was already down the hall.

"Slade's getting away, come on!" He yelled Cy stared in shock, but he, Raven, Beastboy and Starfire recovered when the robots surrounded them.

* * *

 

Sounds of metal on metal rang through the night. Danny and Slade trading blows, the armor around the man's arms serving as his shield and his weapon. Still, he barely missed a killing stroke.

"Well, I must say I'm pleasantly surprised you'd go that far," Slade said enjoying the way the teen involuntarily cringed. They jumped across buildings, and Slade had to remind himself to keep an eye open for Robin, who was catching up, his all black uniform contrasting horribly with the red construction beams they were fighting in. He turned his attention back to Danny, who seemed to notice Robin. The teen's blue eyes widened in fear, his stance lowering as he watched Robin make the fifty foot jump onto the building. It was the only opening Slade needed. He grabbed Danny by the neck and hoisted him high in the air, his black hat slipping off falling to the ground along with his sword.

Danny gasped for air, his windpipe being crushed. Vainly he tried to yank away the arm, his blue eyes still watching Robin, who was standing only a few feet away yelling something at Slade who merely chuckled.

"Afraid he'll die," Slade said turning his attention back to Danny, who noticed Robin's raised weapon. The teen felt consciousness leaving him.

"How far will you go to protect him, _Danny Phantom_?" Slade whispered into his ear, shocked blue eyes met coal black. Using the last of his strength, Danny gripped the arm and raspingly whispered back.

"Sorry, don't know him," he said swinging forward and nailing Slade in the stomach making the man drop him. Robin lunged forward, throwing his weapons, leaving Danny on the ground to catch his breath the black mask unraveling. Dizzy and unfocused Danny watched Slade begin to circle Robin.

"Hand over the disks." Robin snapped.

"I thought we had a deal."

"Sorry, I have a strict rule against giving stole technology to psychos," Robin spat, this Danny completely agreed with. Slowly, with his vision fading from black to blurry the teen stood. His mask falling around his neck like a scarf. Thankfully no one noticed, and at the moment, Danny didn't really care.

"How very noble of you, but stealing in order to trap me, that wasn't so noble," Slade said the red billboard casting his frame in colors of blood red.

"Two wrongs don't make a…"

"Don't ever lecture me! Whatever you're planning, Slade, it's over!" Robin yelled.

"On the contraire, Robin, it's only just begun. Right, Danny?" Slade asked looking over to Danny as he used a red beam for support and for the first time, Robin looked over to the fallen hero and gasped at the sight of Danny Fenton, who merely glared. Slade quickly charged, and Robin jumped, flipping high in the air spinning around to counter attack. Both dodging the others attacks until Slade kicked Robin in the chest sending him flying twenty feet back skidding on the cement roof. Turning, Slade set his eyes on Danny and stalked towards him. Coughing, the teen made a dive for his sword. A fist connected with his chest, the back of his skull cracking on the metal beam. Slade needed to prove his theory as he gazed into those defiant eyes.

"Tell me, have you let someone die before?" Slade asked. Danny froze, the memory of Slade in that burning field filled his head. Eyes going wide and breaths coming in gasps that had nothing to do with the fight, Slade now knew.

"Slade!" Robin yelled attacking once more. The man dropped Danny and blocked all of the teen's movements with ease. Growing frustrated, Robin threw a punch that Slade caught, bringing the teen forward slamming his fist into Robin's chest. Pain seared through Robin's ribs, he felt his feet moving backwards from the momentum, right into the crates and over the roof. He screamed. Slade caught his arm leaving Robin dangling over the edge staring up at him in pure confusion.

"You…saved me?"

"I'm not through," he said throwing Robin back onto the roof. The teen shifted when he felt another presence beside him and together he and Danny attacked. Robin knocking Slade back, Danny severing the metal container that housed the chips with his sword, kicking them next to the man when Robin ripped off the mask to reveal only a robot. The two teens didn't notice the other Titans as they leapt onto the building.

"Patience, Robin, we'll meet face to face some other time," Slade said on the monitor leaning forward the clocks turning in the background, "Oh, and speaking of time." The countdown started on five, destroying the robot and the three disks in the explosion.

"At least he didn't get the chips," Beastboy said watching their leader who turned to glare at Danny.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded the Titans moving forward, eyes widening as they stared at Danny in shock.

The teen felt his anger rise at Robin's question, but he squashed it back down, meeting him with the same glare.

"Saving you apparently," his tone sarcastic.

"You almost got yourself killed!" Robin snapped to which Danny let out a short laugh.

"Says the one who was thrown off a building. I was here to make sure Slade didn't get the chips. After all, DALV is my foster father's corporation," Danny said pushing past the shocked teens to retrieve his hat, sliding the sword back in its sheath, the light catching the beautifully carved green dragon on its hilt, the coloring strangely unaffected by the giant glow of the red billboard. Raven quickly turned her gaze back to their leader, who only scowled.

"But the chips are destroyed, that can't be good for Vlad," Robin countered. Danny tied his mask back on, showing only two cold blue eyes.

"Who said I was doing it for Vlad?"

With this he leapt off the building and disappeared.

* * *

 

Robin had locked himself in that pitch black room, the only light coming from one bulb hanging over the desk. The boy wonder leaned up against the wall, staring into Slade's mask. Starfire entered, she'd long given up on knocking, and slowly she approached her friend.

"You want to yell at me too, everyone else has, and I can't blame them," Robin said, Star placed a hand on his shoulder, her forest green eyes sincere.

"I do not wish to yell, merely to understand. Robin, why did you not tell us the truth?" She asked.

"I needed to fool Slade, if you guys knew it was me under that mask, you would have held back. Doesn't matter anyway, Slade figured it out and I still haven't figured out anything about him." Robin said his eyes hardening, knuckles going white under the green gloves from how strong he was grasping that awful mask.

"That is not true. Whoever Slade is, you and he are similar. Slade did not trust you, and you did not trust us."

Robin felt like he'd been thrown into ice cold water at Star's words, he only took one more moment before he placed the mask on the hook in the wall before turning back to his friend.

"You need anything else, Star?" Robin asked.

"Yes, Raven requires your assistance. She believes she might have found something on Danny," both teens headed out the door and into the main living room, where Cy and Beastboy sat on the red couch. Raven standing in the middle of the room holding what looked like an ancient scroll. The tension in the room was heavy as Robin and Star took their seats.

"You think you found something," Robin stated, the violet haired girl nodded.

"I do, but first I need to know, what have you found out about Phantom," the, _if-you-were-even-looking,_ was implied.

"All I know is that wherever Danny goes, so does Phantom along with his countless enemies," Robin said.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"Something is bothering me about the sword used by Danny," Raven said leaning down to carefully unroll the aged parchment across the table.

"We're here all because of a sword?" Beastboy said groaning into his hands, everyone merely ignored him.

"What does a sword have to do with Phantom and Danny?" Cyborg asked leaning forward intently to see the characters written down the page. Raven looked up at the team, her violet eyes serious.

"Everything. Because according to this story, the sword originally belonged to Phantom," she said and everyone listened to the legend of the Great War between the White Dragon and the Red Demon.

 

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 

 

 


	12. The Dragon and the Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In ancient times a raging battle was fought between one brave Dragon and his two companions against the deceitful Demon.

**The mist is rolling in...**

 

" _Sometimes legends make reality, and become more useful than the facts."  
 **~**_ _Salman Rushdie_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 12: The Dragon and the Demon

**I**

It was a war that started between the gods and the demons. When one creature, with blood red eyes and powers that could burn civilizations to the ground, wished to find his destiny. He broke into the Heavenly realm and stole the Ancient Scroll, and with it, the battles ensued. Their fights trampled across the Heavens. One brave Dragon fighting to protect his people: his strength, speed, power, and heart rivaled even the Demons. So in one final attack, the Demon dragged their battles to the Mortal World in a great green storm. The Dragon, dazed and confused fell fast, his powers to great to control, fled. As he and his two warrior companions struck the unforgiving land. And so the war in the our world began, the Demon beginning to conquer all of Japan. 

 **II**

As the storm passed, the people in the hidden village of Shiro approached the fallen gods. The once great Dragon transforming into an unearthly mortal before their very eyes. His form the color of snow, the great scales fitted tightly to his skin, the god's eyes the color of the Earth's soul in spring. Yet every living thing knew he belonged to Death. 

His second in command was the Goddess of Chaos. She was a silk Black Panther, her eyes the color of stone purple gems in firelight, her form always moved with a grace no geisha could match. The Black goddess was strong, agile, and unyielding, even to her mate the Dragon. Who irrevocably loved her, and she held the same. Both fought with a passion in all they did. 

The last warrior was the Dragon's closest aid and friend, the knowledgeable Bear. But he did not hold the colorings of black and white. No, he saw the world in the array of colors equal to his great brown fur. The Dragon and the Bear were as close as brothers, and while the death god fought, the Bear would always plan, finding a way to support. His mind thinking five steps ahead, his stamina able to withstand the harsh winters and long months of emptiness, made him invaluable to the Dragon, who won so many battles with him by his side. 

These were the gods turned human. The ones who would fight to save us all.

* * *

 

 

Raven paused in her reading, her delicate fingers turning the next page in the scroll. The Titans all silently waiting for her to go on. Each one enthralled in the story. She read, her normally monotone voice moving through the story in lilt and pitch, making the tale come alive.

 

* * *

 

**III**

The people of Shiro were first afraid. For gods had been known to be as unforgiving as the demons that trampled across the land. But these three were not, and the Dragon was humble, bowing to the peasants asking to serve them. In a show of gratitude, the people of the hidden village invited the gods to a great feast. It was a day none would forget. Dressed in the finest robes Shiro could offer, the gods were happy, they danced and sang with everyone from the children to the elderly, never thinking of their status. The Bear giving his knowledge too all, while the Panther danced, her flowing robes contouring perfectly, the other women joining in creating a song just for her. The Dragon watched on, smiling at his comrades, the whole time joining in the feast with his witty mind and silver tongue, and when the festivities were nearing the height of the night, a runner from the castle city Naka burst through the gates in panic. 

"Our city has fallen! A great Demon has laid us to siege. We beg the help of your finest warriors."

The gods instantly straightened, getting up and following the man, who at first scoffed that these three young warriors were in fact gods and not children in training. But at the glare from the Dragon, he was silenced. Requesting to go, the headman agreed but ordered his ten finest warriors to accompany them. With this they left, still clad in robes of happiness. The journey lasted half the night, dawn peeking through the sky when they arrived at the city. Its roads were broken, the buildings burning in purple fire.

The town was dead, bodies thrown out in the street. The Dragon managed to find survivors. His comrades helping while the runner from the city wept at his lost wife and child. It took two days for the Shiro warriors to bury the dead and offer them pray rights. Two nights that the Dragon stood high up on a hill, his roar reaching the heavens, power trying to spill out from his mortal body.

It was then the warriors knew they had to help the god. So once home and settled around the indoor fire of the main hut, the council and the gods listened to the destruction of Naka from the survivors. Who when the Demon first arrived in the village, they believed him to be a god, so in honor, they forged a samurai sword, one that yielded his powers with ease. It was then he turned on them. The Dragon sat in silence at this, his mind turning; it was many moments before he spoke and told them why he was here.

**IV**

It was called Heaven's map. Its power infinite, allowing the reader to traverse through this world and the next by doorways and storms. The map could cross all eras and show you your destiny. It could take you anywhere you wished to go by speaking aloud, and it had been guarded for millennia, before the Demon learned of its whereabouts and stole it.

The Dragon had tried to reason with the Demon, but the creature was only interested in power, and now until the Bear could locate the Demon, the three gods were stuck and would never be able to return home to the sky. Upon listening to the Dragon's story, the headman felt sympathy for the god and asked the craftsman from Naka to redeem his mistake and design a sword to rival the Demon's. The man agreed and while he turned to his fires, the Shiro warriors rallied together and taught the god the ways of man and sword. The Dragon was a quick learner, his long years of fighting with green fire and claws made it natural for him to hold such a refined weapon.

Soon on the fortnight of the massacre at Naka, the Bear located the Demon, and the Dragon was presented his weapon. The craftsman had named it Dragon's Gale, its stone white hilt filled with gold, a jade dragon wrapping around in design. It made no sound. The metal blade so sharp and thin it appeared almost unbalanced, but when held by the Dragon, the sword's core held the aura and strength of green fire the god so used. And when he swung the blade, it cut through the air so quick and deadly he looked like a true shinigami. With a final thanks to the people of Shiro and an apology to the survivors of Naka, the three gods set out to the temple guarding the palace.

**V**

The majestic temple was in ruins when the gods arrived. Once great red columns smoking, the beautifully carved golden roof melting off in certain spots. The heat from the Demon's flames were stifling, the warrior monks struggling to hold their ground in their own home. The Demon threw the last monk aside, a smirk on his face.

"I've defeated all of your warriors, now take me to your palace where my rule shall begin immediately."

The demon spoke, ignoring the looks of pure hatred the mortals were giving him, but they knew they had to comply.

"There is still one more you must vanquish."

The Dragon said, standing on the high archway clad in black. Sword glistening in the light, the monks were shocked. The Demon dragged his sword through the earth tearing it apart in purple flames destroying the arch, the Dragon jumped, and the fight began. As they fought in the sky, the Panther and Bear regrouped the monks, who waited for the gods to land, and when they struck down in the rubble, everyone surrounded the Demon who snarled angrily.

"You have dishonored our priceless treasures, we shall never obey you!"

A monk yelled, and for the first time the Dragon noted the destroyed pottery and jewels that were centuries old. He smirked, his silver tongue causing the Demon to yell out in frustration.

"Try as you might, Dragon, you will not stop me from achieving my destiny!"

The Demon snarled and using the Heavenly map, he tore through the sky and into the other living realm where the gods could regain their powers. The Dragon summoned his two warriors and together they followed through the time. Battles continued, until the day when in his greed, the map sent the Demon to a frozen barren wasteland. That was his destiny, and the Dragon claimed the scroll, returning it to its rightful place amongst the Heavens.

* * *

 

 

Raven rolled up the ancient scroll and set it on the table before she looked up to see her friends trying to process the story. Their faces mixtures of awe and confusion.

"The sword Danny used, it was the same one from legend. It's the Dragon's Gale, thought to be nothing more than a myth," she said, her voice now back to its monotone sound.

"How do we know it's not a fake?" Cyborg asked, although you could see he was trying to find another explanation. Raven shook her head.

"No. I'm sure, the sword held the white aura and was too narrow and unbalanced to be a regular sword. That belonged to the Dragon," she said firmly.

"O.k. so Danny has the Dragon's sword, how does this tie into Phantom?" Beastboy asked his face one of pure confusion.

"Because the Dragon _is_ Phantom in the story," Robin said speaking up for the first time. The connections beginning to form in his mind.

"The map was the one he used to take us home from Frostbites, the Demon was the ghost at the theater, the one who called himself Plasmius, and for whatever reason, Phantom saw it fit to give his sword to Danny, the question is why?" Robin said frustrated as the connections fell apart, nothing made sense. Cy rubbed his temples angrily.

"O.k. made we're going about this wrong, how about instead of trying to put the facts together, we need to look at theories."

"Phantom could be an ancient spirit, and the war is still going on," Raven suggested.

"Perhaps Phantom is from our time and the ghost Plasmius stole the map here and used it to go backwards," Star said the Titans all agreed that was most probable.

"That still leaves out how Phantom is attached to Danny," Robin said. Leaning forward, his hands resting under his chin in contemplation, hesitantly Beastboy spoke up.

"Well, what if Phantom and Danny are related or have some other kind of connection."

Everyone froze understanding dawning on their faces.

"We need to see Danny," Robin said, no one argued as they headed for the door.

* * *

 

Danny paced around the lab trying desperately to control his anger, all the information on the chip being displayed on the screen. Silently, Fixit watched him, waiting for the teen to calm down. Although the robot was pretty pissed himself, he didn't want to add fuel to Danny's already massive fire. Especially since he was still wearing his black ninja suit, his deadly sword swinging at his hip.

"What do you plan to do?" Fixit finally asked when Danny stopped mid step and merely glared.

"Well, first I plan on sucking that fruitloop in the Fenton Thermos, give it a good shake until Vlad doesn't know what's up or down, then I plan on leaving him with Klemper chained at the waist in Antarctica and ask Clockwork to tell me whenever a portal there opens so I can randomly visit him and beat the deadly daylights out of him! What is Vlad thinking! Is he trying to get us killed?" Danny shrieked, and Fixit flinched not so much in fear, but at how creative Danny was. But looking at the raven haired teen Fixit knew something else was wrong.

"What else?" Fixit asked, although he had a pretty good idea what. Danny suddenly seemed to tremble, blue eyes wide with fear before he masked it with sarcasm.

"Oh nothing, I just thought one fruitloop was bad, now I have to worry about a psycho one who's not only interested in me, but I think he has it in for Robin, which just like Vlad, is a giant 'ew'," Danny said before he sank onto the floor, head falling on his drawn up knees. Fixit was about to move to his friend when the doorbell rang twice. Groaning, Danny rose from the floor and composed himself before he and Fixit left the lab and headed up the stairs.

"Danny."

"Yeah?"

"You might want to stay behind the counter, you’re still carrying your sword."

Danny turned scarlet before mumbling something along the lines of _'I never get any sleep'_ being the reason why he still looked like a Japanese warrior. Fixit merely chuckled and headed down the aisle where the Titans all stood outside, their faces serious, Robin's if not deadly. Opening the door, Fixit blocked their passage.

"Can I help you, friends?" Fixit asked the Titans, all a little surprised at how serious the robot looked, which was saying a lot with his already stoic face.

"We need to talk to Danny," Cy said his eyes earnest. Fixit's ocean blue eyes narrowed trying to discern if they were here to harm him. Fixit was sure they weren't, but at the moment he didn't want to take any chances. The robot jumped when he felt a hand on his arm, and looking down, he noticed Danny standing beside him, his eyes serious.

"It's fine, Fixit," Danny said, nodding, the robot moved out of the way allowing Danny to leave the store. The Titans trailing after him down the back alley of the building. The sky was overcast in clouds of gray, the sun beginning to set. Vaguely, Danny realized that it was Friday night, and the two nights of chasing the Titans all around the city was beginning to take its toll on him. Stopping at the dead end, he turned to face them.

"What do you want?" Danny asked trying to keep the exasperation out of his tone.

"We want to know your relation to Phantom," Robin said, Danny felt his nerves prickle.

"Screw you, I don't have to tell you anything," Danny snapped. Robin was about to yell back when Raven cut him off, sensing the rising tensions.

"Very well, can you at least tell us who gave you the Dragon's Gale?" She asked pointing to his sword. Danny shifted nervously, one hand coming to rest on the hilt.

"It's always been mine," Danny said.

"So you are related to Phantom," Robin stated his eyes narrowed. Danny's eyes hardened, his mouth thinning, he glared and refused to answer.

The boy wonder let out a yell of frustration before marching forward, getting up in the teen's face.

"Fine, if you won't answer anything about Phantom, then tell me why you saved us."

"I have my reasons," Danny growled out, glaring down at Robin, both of them seething in rage.

"Yeah, and I can tell your reasons are crap, you didn't follow me around all night just to destroy those chips. You went straight for Slade the second I was in danger, you were protecting me and my team. Even when you were fighting against Red X, weren't you?" Robin yelled.

Danny and the rest of the Titans were shocked at the outburst. Robin, who hadn't really known what he was yelling stood rooted to the spot catching his breath and realized that what he had said was true. A wall came up between Danny's eyes and his thoughts, his emotions skating on a razor's edge. He pushed past the teen, preparing to leave when what Robin said next made his blood run cold.

"I'm right aren't I, you're more than just some average street fighter, you're a hero."

Danny snarled and faced Robin, his eyes beyond angry.

 _"_ _I am not a hero."_

"Then why did you not kill Slade the first chance you got? Why did you look at me even as your windpipe was being crushed? Why are you always willing to help us? And why won't you tell us the truth?" Robin yelled, the other Titans surrounding Danny looking at him with the same expressions. Danny suddenly felt nervous, his mask beginning to crack. He didn't want this, they were looking at him the way Sam and Tucker once did when they were trying to get something past his clueless skull.

"I am not a hero," Danny repeated, only it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than them.

"If so, then why did you help me when my sister betrayed me?" Starfire asked, for a long moment Danny only stared at Robin before he looked to the Tamaranean girl, and he felt like he'd been punched in the chest.

Because it was her forest green eyes, which were filled with confusion and such honesty… that for a second, Danny thought he was staring at his sister. And every defense the teen had built against the world broke down with every memory. Every scar and every power that hummed beneath his skin reminding him of what he was.

"Dude, are you o.k.?" Beastboy asked coming closer his hand reaching out. Danny shied away from it, hair hiding crystalline blue eyes.

"Please, why can't you just leave me alone?" Danny whispered brokenly, causing everyone to draw closer in concern. The anger all but gone from the group. And half hidden in the shadows, his eyes closed, Starfire saw something that shocked her.

"Danny, are you…"

A metal clang was heard at the entrance of the alleyway all the teens turning to the sound.

"Who's there?" Robin asked walking forward taking a defensive position. The sound was heard again and the teens looked in horror at the grenade rolling down the pavement.

"Raven!" Robin shouted, but it was too late. It exploded releasing the gas that dragged Danny and the Teen Titans down into an unnatural slumber. Before unconsciousness fully claimed him, the raven haired teen saw a shadow move, a flash, and a man approaching them, a red walking stick in his left hand. He could do nothing, and blackness took him.

 

 

AN: Read & Review

 

 


	13. Mad School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Mad Modd's Institution for bratty teenage do gooders.

**My vision is starting to blur...**

 

" _I'm only human, I've got a skeleton in me, but I'm not the villain despite what you're always preaching." ~Hayley Williams_

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 13: Mad School 

Danny felt through the haze in his mind, which kept trying to drag him back into unconsciousness. He groaned when the blinding florescent lights came on showing the Teen Titans all chained to tall, thick posted chairs bolted to the floor. Everyone awoke, each trying to resist their bonds: Robin's hands were cuffed to the chair's arms, Starfire's hands bound by glowing red energy, Cyborg secured around the chest with a heavy metal lock, Raven's chest swirled around in white energy, and Beastboy’s chest was crossed with two red X's making it impossible for him to transform. And looking down Danny noticed he wasn't fairing any better, his legs weren't bound, but both his hands were; he jerked fighting the bonds. Beastboy was the last one to wake up, noticing their predicament. He looked at Danny then over to the other Titans.

"Am I the only one who has no idea where we are?" He asked.

"Why you're right where you belong, my ducky," a man said in a British accent. Everyone looked up to see a man at the grand entrance, two marble staircases leading up to him.

"You're in school!" The man said jumping on the railing and sliding down to land a few feet away from them on the checkerboard floor. Danny nearly laughed at the man's appearance. For he had flaming red hair in a bob cut, blue half glasses that matched perfectly with his shirt that was the British flag and white bell bottom pants. All in all, he looked like a rejected Beetle singer, complete with a red jeweled cane that he loved to twirl like a king. The man leaned in, gazing at the teens intently, a smirk on his face.

"That's right lad and ladies. You're the only students in Mad Mod's Institute for bratty teenage do gooders," his voice booming the accent really ticking off all the teens, Mad Mod threw his cane and caught it in his other hand before throwing himself forward like he was the hero.

"And it's high time someone taught you sporgs a _lesson_ ," he said his cane crackling in white electricity. The Titans began to struggle again.

"My star-bolts are useless!" Star cried as Mad Mod got right in her face, his breath smelling like bad tea.

"Specially designed chairs, _love_. Can't have those nasty superpowers disrupting my lecture, now can I?" _Oh gosh, he sounded worse than Mr. Lancer_ , Danny thought his eyes beginning to glow. Starfire shifted in nervousness trying to turn away from the man.

"Get away from her!" Robin snapped. Mad Mod turned faster than Danny thought possible, and he watched as the jeweled cane released electricity into Robin's chair, making the teen slam his mouth shut to stop himself from screaming. Mad Mod leaned forward into the leader's face.

"Now don't get your knickers in a bunch, my little snot," the red head reject beetle said, stepping back letting Robin catch his breath, Mad Mod observed the teens.

"It was a stroke of luck that I didn't have to fill your Tower with _knock_ out gas, and I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school just to finish you off lickity split," Mad Mod said.

"Then what do you want?" Raven snapped.

"Just what I said, _deary_ …"Mad Mod got way to close for comfort in Danny's and the Titans' opinion, "to teach you _lot_ a lesson. Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave, and I _hate_ misbehavin' children," the man said, Danny scoffed, like he hadn't just seen that idiot scratch his butt!

But to prove his point Mad Mod pointed to three pictures which flipped over to reveal the Teen Titans in different actions.

"Fighting crime," the picture showed the Titans going up against the Thunder Brothers.

"Saving lives," Robin and Starfire saving some animals from a fire.

"Um, when did you guys do that?" Danny asked motioning to the cute picture. Robin blushed and Starfire was about to reply when Mad Mod hit Danny over the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"No interrupting! And interfering with the plans of hard working villains," a picture of Beastboy as a basset hound pulling down some bad guys pants. Danny actually did laugh and got hit in the head yet again.

"Hey!" He snapped, Mad Mod growled.

"Why you _lot_ are _nothin'_ but a bunch of trouble makers!"

Fury exploded around Danny and the Titans, all of them really wanting to pumble the man in his red haired face.

"And you'll learn your place soon enough. You see, I'm older than you, so I'm _bigger_ , _bader_ , and _beutter_."

"Say What? _Ow!"_ Cyborg yelled as Mad Mod hit him with his cane.

"You're in _my_ world now, and you won't be _gettin'_ out until you've learned some _proper_ respect!"

"Hey Moddy, why the heck did you kidnap me?" Danny asked although he was pretty furious at the guy for a number of other reasons, one forcing him 'back in school'. Mad Mod turned red in the face and strode up to Danny, his jeweled cane looking more like a weapon than anything else.

"Why? Because, lad, you're _turnin'_ into one of 'hem. I saw you earlier, seems to me like you’re already a do gooder, and I can't be havin' you join their _lot_ ," he said gesturing to the Teen Titans who looked very murderous at the moment. "That's why you're here, ladie, and besides ya look like a hero."

Danny bristled at those words, and he could feel his powers humming beneath his chest.

"We will get out, and when we do, we'll…" Robin said while Mad Mod raised his cane, the first bell rung.

"Oh dear, there's the bell, my ducky's, off to _class_ ," he said and with this, the tiles under their chairs opened and everyone screamed as they fell through the floor.

Danny landed with a hard thump on the checkered floor below. A white chalkboard at the front of the class, Mad Mod's face appearing in black on it.

"What the hell?" Danny said struggling, not wanting to blast himself out of the chair and give away his powers.

"Now, now, watch your mouth, don't you know it's rude to talk to your elders that way," the chalkboard face said, Danny let out a huff.

"Fine, what the hell, tea case?" Danny thought about saying 'nut case' but revised it at the last minute watching as Mad Mod growled at his lame insult.

"You need to learn some manners, one of my hypno-screens _ought_ to fix that," Mad Mod said and the teen quickly looked away when the board began to swirl.

"No way am I looking at that," Danny growled shaking off the wires from the top of the chair that were trying to hold his head in place. Thinking fast, he swung his legs forward raising himself off the chair enough to get his feet underneath him, onto the seat and standing up, Danny placed one foot on a wooden arm, his other foot still on the seat and pulled, the wood snapped, freeing one of his arms. Ignoring the strain in his shoulders from the harsh pull, he snapped the wood encasing his other arm and jumped out of the chair.

"Naughty, _naughty,_ if you're going to destroy school property, school property is going to destroy you."

Danny ran when the rocket tore through the screen. Racing down a black and white illusion hallway, he met up with Robin who seemed to be having similar problems, the two rockets hot on their tails. As the teens drew closer, neither had to think, only react, they never stopped running only pressed their palms together once they met, they jumped using the others weight to propel themselves backwards high into the air and over the rockets that exploded upon impact. Robin and Danny slammed into opposite sides of the walls. Both stood, brushing the dust off their suits, the boy wonder sighed.

"There goes my shot at perfect attendance."

"At least that's better than having _'proper manners'_ ," Danny said in a British voice. Robin tried not to laugh at the look of pure horror on the other teen's face.

"Now, don't be so sure, my little _duckies_. You may be out of the classroom, but class is never dismissed," Mad Mod said standing in front of a swirling illusion, both teens charged at him but the crazy brit ran up the wall.

"Next lesson, physics!" Both stopped in their tracks.

"Huh?" They said in unison.

"What goes up, stays up!" Mad Mod yelled laughing, running down the corridor.

"Until we take it down!' Robin snapped and both teens chased after the man. Danny never noticing the 'we'.

They ran up flights of steps that seemed unending. Certain times gravity seeming to flip flop, sending Danny and Robin falling to the new floor. Mad Mod simply hopping over them and racing on. The boy wonder was so mad, he never thought to use his weapons, and the halfa so annoyed, he never thought to use his powers. Both of them just really wanted to punch that crazy Brit in the face.

Mad Mod ran down a square illusion that both teens hit like a wall, both stumbled back in confusion.

"How did he…" Robin sputtered.

"Come on!" Danny said pointing down the other square hallway, a glimpse of red disappearing into a hidden black door. Both dashed through it, back into the grand hallway with floors of doors and stairs. The grand entrance right up top. Mad Mod standing by another door.

"You may as well chuck in the sponge, laddies, you can't catch the likes of me!"

Robin and Danny jumped on the railings of the stairs in perfect synchronization. They landed on the steps which turned into a backwards escalator, keeping them in the same place even as they continued to run.

"Now what did I tell you? Children today won't listen to their, _betturs_ , haft ta learn everything on their…"

Danny smirked when Robin's boomerang shaved off some of Mad Mod's bright red sideburns.

"Hey! Oae, no throwing things while _teacher_ is talking!" The Brit yelled disappearing into the double doors. Robin fired his grappling hook the same time he grabbed Danny's arm and yanked them forward into yet another room, the same one they had been in.

"What?" Robin exclaimed.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Danny yelled his eyes momentarily flashing bright green.

"No!" Star suddenly screamed, both teens instantly on high alert trying to locate her. They ran towards a door that led to the library and raced up ladders to reveal a maze of stacks, the glimmer of a hypno-screen being used.

Starfire struggled in her chair, the red energy swirling around her arms, her forest green eyes shut tight.

"I will not read your book of meanness and swirls," she yelled the chair extending two arms latching onto her head, forcing her to gaze at the book.

"Now, now, luv, it's for your own good. Nothin' teaches disrepending respect like a brain erasing trance," Mad Mod said somewhere, his accent making it hard to understand what he was saying. Star shook off the trance, but the chair forced open her eyes, the ceiling opened up revealing a large stamp the word 'overdue' written in red, it came crashing down destroying the front row of chairs the word stamped into the floor.

"Besides if you don't stop _squirming,_ I won't stop _squashin'_!" He yelled the machine moving onto the next row and destroying it. Starfire struggled more trying to get away. It destroyed the next row and looking up, her green eyes widened at the giant overhanging stamp, it came down as she screamed. Robin dove, pushing her out of the way and slamming them both into the far book stacks. Danny leapt down to join them, destroying the hypno-screen with his sword.

Robin began picking the locks as Danny joined them, his sword raised.

"Are all the schools on your planet this horrible?" She asked the locks snapping open, her star-bolts coming to life in her fists.

"Depends on your definition of horrible," Danny said as the Titans stood. Books began to fly off their shelves and explode, aiming for the three teens.

"Come on!" Robin shouted, he grabbed Star's hand and pulled her towards the shelves. She took to the air while the Danny and Robin began to climb. The halfa having to remind himself that he couldn't use his powers at the moment. They reached the top, jumping on the stacks heading for the only door marked exit in the library, battling the books that soared at them like kamikaze pilots. Star blasted them away, twisting in the air with ease while Robin destroyed them with his weapons, and Danny with his sword, all working together like a well oiled machine. The teens made it to the exit and slammed the door closed right when fifteen books dive bombed. Danny let out a sigh of relief as Robin marched ahead. Starfire floating beside Danny, appreciation in her eyes.

"Robin, I wish to thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't thank me yet, Mad Mod still has us right where he wants us. I know we could take him if we could just get our hands on him, but every time we get out of one trap…" a hoard of Mad Mod's statue podiums on wheels surrounded them, weapons protruding from their eyes, mouths and ears, " there's another one waiting," he finished really ticked off. Robin took a defensive position.

"Uh, I think we should run," Danny suggested as the machines fired various weapons. The teens high tailed it out of there, Mad Mod's voice coming over the intercom with bodacious laughter.

"Run, my duckies! Run all you like, but you'll never get out!" They neared an optical illusion that spiraled into a swirl, gravity seemed to shift and the teens screamed as they fell down the hole where a trap door opened landing them into a chemistry room. It was filled with giant chemicals and test tubes, the ceiling tiles showing the periodic table and on the white board was a hypno-screen. Beastboy in his chair, a white dunce hat on his head.

"It's no good _procrastinating_ really," Mad Mod said on the intercom. The teens ran forward to their friend. "Because sooner or later you'll all end up like him."

"Beastboy!" Robin yelled looking at his friend who had drool running down his mouth.

"Ah yes, a model _student_ that one. Luvly, sits there quietly, never thinks about misbehavin', matter of fact, he never thinks at all! Ha!" Mad Mod yelled, Danny sliced through the red bindings with his sword.

"Beastboy, awaken your friends are here. Beastboy?" Starfire asked before she looked at the screen and charged her star-bolts, aiming to fire at the device. Robin dashed forward.

"Wait!" He said grabbing her wrists, "trust me." All of the chemicals seemed to bubble over and spill onto the floor. One sick green liquid moving towards them dissolving everything it touched. Robin picked up Beastboy and handed him to Starfire.

"Here's your hall pass, we'll meet you outside," he said and with this Star took off for the door. Robin looked over to Danny who nodded.

"After you," the halfa said and Robin took off jumping on the bubbling chairs and other objects around the room. Danny right behind him, only instead of landing on them he seemed to hover, his feet only lightly tapping them because he was pretty sure if he used all of his weight the wood would splinter and Danny really didn't want to add acidic burns to his long list of injuries he's sustained. Once they got to the door the three teens smiled and slammed it shut. The halfa never noticed Starfire's eyes lingering on him for a moment longer.

The four teens found themselves back in the main room, the two staircases leading up to floors upon floors of doors not that it mattered. For they stood at the foot of the stairs trying to get Beastboy to wake up and stop garbling nonsense words.

"Beastboy, it is I, Starfire your friend. _Please_ speak to me, Beastboy? Beastboy? BEASTBOY?!" She yelled making Robin and Danny cover their ears. The halfa thinking she was louder than his wail.

Robin shook his head trying to get rid of the ringing in his ears.

"Ah, Star, I don't think that's working."

"But we must do something or he will remain this way forever!" She said her voice slightly panicked. All of them jumped when they heard the opening of a door.

"Mad Mod, come on," Robin said crouching down behind one staircase. Starfire and Danny joined him, the Tamaranean holding the unconscious Beastboy in her arms.

"We'll hide here and then take him by surprise," Robin said both teens nodded and waited the only sounds coming from BB. The boy wonder felt his eye twitch in annoyance.

"Any way to keep him quiet?" Robin asked, Starfire slapped her hand over the changeling's mouth and 'eeped' as drool coated her hand, Danny was seriously grossed out. Robin saw a shadow and all three teens lunged forward to attack.

The effect was instantaneous. Robin was suspended by black magic above Cyborg's head, who had his sonic cannon pointed at Starfire's chest, her own fists glowing green inches away from his chest, Danny's sword hovering away from Raven's throat, who had coated it in black energy everyone relaxed dropping their stances.

"Cyborg, Raven, how glad we are to see you," Starfire said.

"This place is making me crazy!" Robin said standing by Cyborg who nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it, Mad Mod's wacked out computer lab nearly crashed my hard drive," he said. Starfire looked over to Raven who had a scowl on her normally stoic face.

"Where did our captor send you?" She asked looking to the other girl who opened her dark blue cloak to reveal bright numbered clothes.

"Gym," she said engulfing them in black and tore them away to reveal her black suit and red and gold belt underneath.

"At least he didn't send you to a beauty pageant," Danny commented. Raven's purple eyes widening in horror at the thought.

"Anyone seen BB?" Cy asked with this they all looked down when they heard the gurgling sounds of Beastboy as he slid across the tile floor.

"Mad Mod's hypno-screens, we can't snap him out of it, we've tried everything." Robin said.

"Did you try this?" Cyborg asked bending down and burping in BB's ear. The teen instantly started to laugh, Cy smiled and stood looking pleased with himself.

"Nice one! Uh, how did I get here and why am I covered in drool?" Beastboy asked standing and wiping off his mouth.

"Wonderful, now we need only to locate an exit," Starfire said.

"Or we just keep blasting until we make one," Cyborg replied activating his sonic canon.

"Easy," Robin said holding up his hand motioning for his friend to stop, "last thing I smashed tried to smash me back. I'm sure this whole place is booby trapped."

"Then how are we supposed to get out?" Beastboy asked.

"We're not," Danny said folding his arms and closing his blue eyes before he even thought about transforming into Phantom and just locating Mad Mod himself. But despite himself, he couldn't abandon the Titans and he couldn't risk the crazy Brit seeing him transform.

"Danny's right. Don't you get it, Mad Mod's just going to keep messing with us until…" Raven said Robin finishing her sentence for her.

"We mess with him. That cane of his controls everything in here, we take the cane…" Cy jumped in,

"We take control…"

"And take him down!" Beastboy finished.

"Do you guys always do that?" Danny added in amusement. Beastboy walked forward and tried to look like an evil mastermind.

"Oh, I'll find him. That demented idiot is never hypnotizing me again!" He shouted a picture jutted out from the wall and began to swirl BB managing to spin around just in time to avoid looking at it.

"Dang it! How do I avoid those things!" BB snapped marching back to his friends gesturing behind him to the picture.

"You don't. Look in order to avoid being hypnotized you need to keep your mind focused. You rely on your animal instincts to fight, right? So use them to sharpen your mind, it'll keep the screen from working you over," Danny said his advice shocking all of the Titans especially Beastboy.

"Dude, how did…" he trailed off as Danny shrugged.

"Let's just say I've had a run in with mind control before," he said leaving it at that, his eyes telling them to drop it.

"Come on. Don't you _lot_ ever learn?" Mad Mod said emerging from a black tile in the floor, twirling his red cane. Everyone was instantly in their fighting stances.

"You're in my world now, duckies," he said pressing the red jewel making the door behind him swing open.

"You can't win," he said and with this he dashed through the door.

"Titans, go!" Robin yelled and all of the teens chased after Mod.

It was ridiculous, and by far the weirdest chase Danny had ever been on. Mad Mod had been on a moped; hit the Titans in the head with bananas. They'd chased him past a fountain, then turned and were chased as Mad Mod came barreling at them with a giant bazooka. Danny had fallen through big black dots while Robin slammed into them, Cy picking them up, all of them trying different dots. Each time getting a different a result that left the teens really annoyed until all of them emerged dressed in eighties clothes that just pissed them off.

It didn't help that Mad Mod just zoomed past them on another moped. They ran up stairs that turned smooth like in a bad cartoon leaving Beastboy, Robin, Cyborg and Danny (who at this point was seriously questioning why he didn't just go ghost and fly) especially when at the bottom of the now smooth stairs was a rock crusher, and Beastboy had to transform into a giant green octopus. Raven and Starfire grabbing onto his tentacles in order to catch Robin and Danny as they slammed into the green blob, Cyborg following and crushing them, he blushed as the two teens glared at him for the ride up.

They chased Mad Mod into a hallway that had doors on each wall and no matter which door they entered something always happened. Leaving the teens flustered and running around until Robin stopped them and told them to each take a door, when all of them had been opened they snuck up to the last one. Everyone screamed five octaves above their natural voices as a T-Rex head emerged from the room and roared at them. Danny made sure to slam that door closed very quickly. Out of the corner of their eyes, the teens spotted Mad Mod pushing open the back wall. They approached it, a statue of the Brit smiling at them. Robin lifted up the head to reveal a red switch turning it, the wall opened showing the outside world.

"No way," Raven said shocked.

"Is that what I think it is?" Beastboy said refusing to believe his eyes.

"One way to find out," Robin said and with this Robin and the Titans walked forward. Danny hesitating slightly before he followed not daring to get his hopes up.

"Looks like the real deal," Cyborg said until Robin stretched out his hand and it tore through the paper making the Teen Titans stumble and fall to the checkerboard floor.

Starfire gasped as Cy yelled 'no' and Robin slammed his fist to the ground.

"Right back where we started," Robin growled as the teens got up and looked around the main room. The staircases leading to hundreds of doors. Danny felt his eyes begin to glow, but he pushed his powers back in. It was hard, for it felt like ages since he could feel the coldness in his chest without hurting him, or the ease with which his powers responded without thinking.

"Of course you are my duckies," Mad Mod said the tile floor turning over to reveal the man. It hovered off the floor tapping his cane twice it rose high in the air so the man could look down at the teens.

"Class is over, and you lot haven't learned a thing. As a failing grade for each bloomin' one of ya. There's only one thing for it," the door they came from slammed shut, "you'll have to repeat the entire lessun!" Mad Mod screamed the four walls disappearing showing one big hypno-screen, with the floating doors and weapons which quickly surrounded them. The Titans and Danny took up fighting stances.

"Time for class, my duckies, everyone back to your seats!" Mad Mod yelled.

"Titans, get that cane!" Robin yelled and they charged. Beastboy destroying the ground statues his lion form roaring in rage, as Raven placed a shield up destroying the mini rockets while Cyborg, Robin and Danny ran through the fire. Robin jumped, Cy catching his feet and pushing him in the air, throwing Danny next before the mechanical teen destroyed several flying statues with his fists. Starfire headed straight for Mod, her eyes a fierce electric green she was almost there.

"Hey, no rough housin'! Do I have to separate you _lot_?" Mad Mod said clicking his red jeweled cane. All of the tiles began to elevate at separate times, Star managing to stop in time before slamming into a black tile. Robin wasn't so lucky and Danny barely managed to dodge one, using his powers to let him stop mid air and land on the tile next to him. Robin looked over to Cyborg before the statues attacked, firing red bullets at him, he grabbed onto one, and it sent him high in the air before he managed to flip and reach Mad Mod's floor sparing a glance. The teen noted Danny flipping up onto the tiles steadily making his way towards him. Raven and Beastboy were on the lower levels destroying the statues when they heard a screaming Cyborg and both dodged his falling form.

"Little help," Raven asked as the teen stood, he nodded and activated his canon, they got back to work.

Starfire worked on destroying the aerial statues when she felt one grab her arms, she looked up to see another coming at her with a red saw and growling, the Tamaranean girl kicked it away sending it flying into the giant hypno-screen which ripped like paper revealing something dark and mechanical underneath.

Hundreds of more statue robots were moving on the ground and grabbing one, Cy threw it destroying the perfectly made line. He felt red electricity course through him suddenly, which brought him down and looking up, he saw a statue holding a stun gun the floor dragging him up into a chair.

"No!" Raven screamed battling the arms of another, her black magic being cancelled out, a white ring swirling around her chest. Starfire hit the checkered floor hard having been stunned in the air. Hazily, she fought the hold of the machines binding her into a chair, but it was no use. The three Titans looked up to see Beastboy racing to their aid, his lion form morphing into a cheetah. He hadn't expected a robot to launch a grenade at him. The three Titans screamed his name.

* * *

 

Robin and Danny were battling the crazy Brit as he moved through the air like it was gravity, smirking the entire time.

"Oh give it a rest naughty! You've already lost!" Mad Mod said pointing to the struggling Titans and a weakly resisting Starfire. Robin jumped forward reaching for the cane and both teens were shocked when he passed through it. Danny spared a moment to gaze at Robin before his eyes turned away, searching for something.

"If the cane isn't real…"

"It means Mad Mod is just as fake!" Robin finished Danny's sentence, blue eyes spotted the tear.

"There!" Danny pointed dropping his sword, Robin dashed forward and jumped, the halfa catching his feet and launching him into the air. He had just enough time to see Robin make it into what looked like a vent before he heard the Titans scream.

_"Beastboy!"_

* * *

 

Danny turned, his human heart stopping mid beat, he saw the grenade go flying the trigger pin missing. Five, Danny felt his eyes glow the brightest green, four, his power centered around him, three, white rings spilt his body, two, in the transformation green energy instantaneously formed, one, the grenade exploded and Danny transformed, teleporting in the same instant. His mind blank only pure emotions driving him forward.

Beastboy felt the heat of the explosion behind his back, so intense it singed his fur. Numbly, he knew that shrapnel would follow, tearing through him like butter. But nothing came and in his confusion he hit the ground, his four legs giving out and the cheetah rolled across the floor stopping next to his friends. After what felt like ages, Beastboy changed back and looked up at his friends, who weren't looking at him but ahead, and rolling on his side the changeling gasped for Phantom was floating in the air. His eyes a pure green, a giant shield swirling around the entire group. Shakily, Beastboy stood and approached the ghost teen who floated to the ground panting. BB managed to catch him when he saw the teen's legs give out underneath him.

* * *

 

Danny felt arms wrap around him, and numbly he realized that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to use so much power after just…well technically it was still the third day or maybe the fourth, the halfa wasn't sure how long they'd been knocked out. Tired beyond belief, the halfa managed a smile when, in his blurry vision, he saw Beastboy freaking out, sighing Danny chuckled.

"What was that about cats always landing on their feet?" Danny asked, a blush colored Beastboy's face the moment he fell into unconsciousness. And it was then BB knew why his friends were still speechless because a white ring formed and split in two, traveling up and down changing Phantom into…Danny?!

* * *

 

Mad Mod sat in a chair surrounded by computers and thousands of beeping buttons. Only this man was much older, his flaming red hair was no longer, but the color of dusty white, balding on top with more than a couple of liver spots, his skin was drawn and wrinkly, pearly white teeth rotted yellow and he wore a baggy red sweater vest with long black pants. He growled moving the stick in front of him to control the environment.

"This will teach those little ankle bitters some respect, just a tick, I've _lost_ Robin," Mod said pulling down on an overhanging lever. The screens began to go black as the leader ripped the wires out, and the senior citizen yelled out in surprise, his machine going up in smoke. Hastily, Mad Mod stood desperate to get away, only to turn and have Robin yank him forward a scowl on his face.

"Ah, ugh, hullo gov'nuer," Mod said his British accent thick with nervousness.

"Schools out, Mod, and you're looking at about twenty years of detention," Robin said Mad Mod flinched at his fate.

* * *

 

Beastboy had freed his friends when everything began to collapse. The hologram disappearing as the screens broke and rolled up showing a massive space filled with labyrinths and screens designed for smoke and mirrors. The weapons no longer moving, nothing more than disfigured statues. The Titans turned when they heard their leader coming with Mad Mod tied up.

"Well, he did say he was older," Beastboy said, Cyborg picking up Danny, Robin raised a questioning eyebrow, but Cy shook his head.

"Let's go home," Robin said and with this they headed up a narrow ladder that opened their prison. Cyborg climbed out emerging onto the abandoned oil station outside the port of Jump City, the sky was shinning blue.

Titan's Tower was completely quiet while Robin tried to process what he had just learned, Danny Fenton was Phantom?

"How is that even possible?" He asked.

"It's not," Cyborg said serious.

"And yet it is. Danny is dead yet alive," Raven said her purple eyes blank, yet her mind was swimming in confusion.

"The question is how?" Starfire asked as the Titans all sat on the couch.

"How about 'it's none of your concern'," Danny said making the Titans jump to their feet and look at Danny who was standing by the door a look of pure rage on his face.

"I beg to differ. You've helped us so many times before, why didn't you just trust us?" Robin snapped moving forward while Danny took a step back, his eyes glowing a fierce green making the Titans involuntarily shudder.

"Why should I? I told you I'm not a hero, but no matter what I do, you never leave me alone and now you know, so I hope you understand. I will _never_ be a hero _again_!"

"What do you mean again?" Cyborg asked his voice harsh though he felt less than that. Why was Danny acting this way? A flicker of fear slipped across Danny's face at his slip up, but it disappeared before the Titans could think over it.

"It doesn't matter, now that you know I can tell you this, if you don't stay away from me, the next time I see you, you'll be choking on your own blood," Danny said and with this he turned, and white rings engulfed him, taking flight the halfa paused and from his pocket he drew up a small yellow device and threw it to their leader who caught it out of reflex before Danny turned intangible and sped off into the night.

Staring in disbelief, Robin looked down at the device…the Titan's communicator.

* * *

 

Danny felt the wind burn his eyes as he flew through the air to the location. His mind reeling at what he had said and the looks of pure betrayal on the Teen Titans' faces. Not that it mattered. It was for their own safety. The memory pulled at his mind still fresh and raw.

_The halfa woke to the feel of a hospital bed under him, the thin white sheets soft and scratchy at the same time. Shaking out of his daze Danny sat up instantly knowing he was in the Tower's infirmary. For a second, fear took hold of his heart. He hadn't known he'd pass out from using his powers and now the Titans knew. Taking a few deep breaths to relax, Danny knew he should start berating himself for letting them find out, but strangely the only feeling the halfa could muster was relief. The feeling settled in his heart and blossomed out, making Danny's chest ace in happiness._

_It'd been so long since he had people to share his secret with. Fixit didn't count in Danny's mind for the robot reminded the halfa of Clockwork, and while he loved both the Ghost of Time and the robot very much, the feeling felt more like they were his guardians. But the Titans, they were so much like Tucker, Sam, and Jazz were: pure, trustworthy, fun, and above all else, stubborn._

_The Teen Titans never stopped trying, they kept Danny grounded when he didn't even realize he'd been sinking. The Titans were his friends. And how they'd wormed their way into his heart, the halfa would never know. But they had and the emotions were so powerful Danny put his knees to his chest and hugged them close to keep himself from drowning in the tidal waves._

" _Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise, Daniel," Danny jumped coiling his muscles. He looked around the room but found nothing until his eyes met the computer screen._

" _Slade," Danny growled his eyes glowing green, "what do you want?"_

" _Many things. One of them you can help me with," Slade said leaning forward into the camera, the halfa growled._

" _Why would I ever help you?!" Danny spat._

" _Because if you don't the Teen Titans will die."_

_Danny's blood ran cold. Slade laughed the screen moving to show the chemical composition of something, the teen moved forward to observe the chemical his mind a whirl wind of panic._

" _I'm sure you've figured out what this builds, nanoscopic probes, attached to the red blood cells. You see, with the touch of a button my probes will destroy your friends from the **inside out** ," Slade said the screen changing to show the five outlines of the Titians. Each with their name in the corner, health reading on the sides and the flow of the probes in their bodies._

" _You're lying, you haven't had the time!" Danny said his voice trembling slightly, his knuckles strained white._

" _Oh but I have, have you wondered why Mad Mod found you in the alley though he said the Tower was his target? I did that, Daniel."_

_The screen changed to show the security video feed across the street from Danny's alleyway showing Slade moving in, pointing a gun at the Titans and fired. The halfa wanted to look away from the picture as each of his friends' bodies temporarily glowed a violent red. The man left, seconds later Mad Mod appeared walking down the street his cane in hand._

_The flash he saw, the shadow… that had been Slade. Danny felt his whole body tremble._

" _So Daniel, what will it be, helping me, or letting the Teen Titans die?"_

_The answer was obvious._

As the wind blew past him, Danny tried to pretend it was the cause of his tears. But by the time he arrived at pier forty-one they were long since dried. After all, even though Slade had found Danny's one weakness, didn't mean he'd let the man know it. Walking through the doors, Danny hardened his heart, he wouldn't regret his actions, if Slade wanted him to play the villain he would, even though the looks of betrayal still tore up his already bleeding heart.

"Welcome, Daniel," Slade said the teen's eyes glowed a deathly green. Something told Danny that whatever the man was planning, this was only just beginning. So he would play. Because he wasn't the villain, but something more.

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 

 

 


	14. The Apprentice's Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Robin must work for Slade. But how long can this last?

**My nightmare is my dream...**

 

" _At least now I don't have to be kind nor good. I_

_'ll be cruel and I'll be obscene, tear out my tongue '_

_cause I've been redeemed."~Florence Welch_  

Titans Phantom 

Chapter 14: The Apprentice's Weapon 

Robin was so close, running through the cannon chasing the dark shadow that was Slade. This time he'd get him, this time he'd know why. The teen launched himself sky high, he momentarily wondered, what did he need to know? His feet hit solid rock and Robin rolled, allowing his weight to spread evenly and not snap any of his bones. Slade moved from behind a giant stone rock.

"Dangerous behavior, Robin, you must be very eager to see me. I'm flattered," Slade said. Robin felt his anger burn.

"I'm not here to see you. I'm here to stop you."

"Humm, but how can you stop me when you don't even know what I'm planning," the man said moving behind the rock, the two circling each other like animals.

"Like this," Robin replied running forward, throwing punches. Slade dodged, the teen's fists connecting with the stone pillars. Robin jumped over the man and countered, but his fist was easily caught. Slade sent him flying into another rock. The teen quickly stood, but no matter how many times he tried, he always hit the rocks and never the man. Slade turned and kicked Robin in the chest sending him twenty feet back, he jumped to his feet and threw two boomerangs, and Slade deflected, sending them crashing into two stone pillars. And just like that, the giant rocks came crashing down, taking down the others surrounding them. Coughing, Robin moved through the smoke looking for Slade.

"Excellent, Robin, we appear to be evenly matched and equally ruthless. Not surprising," the man said his voice echoing around the cannon, Robin stiffened. Slade's voice sounded right behind him, "you and I are so very much alike." The Titan spun and punched Slade in the face.

"I am _nothing_ like you!" Robin yelled dragging the man forward, staring him down.

"You're a criminal, a psychopath. All you care about is destruction," Robin said. Slade merely turned, his grey black eye boring into the teen.

"And all you care about you destroy," he said motioning to the rock pillars, the shattered bodies of his friends carved in stone.

"No. Who are you?" Robin yelled ripping the mask away to reveal…himself. Slade laughed through his voice, Robin bolted backwards. The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, the Titan turned away but stumbled back when he saw Danny standing next to him. Those green eyes blazing, black bangs falling like rain around his face.

"Why?" Danny spoke looking at Robin in pure hatred.

"What?" Robin asked shaking, looking to the mixed halfa. Danny's eyes changed blue, his hair now snow white.

"Why can't you _see!"_ The blue eyes held a look of pure desperation.

Robin screamed as fire engulfed him. The Titan jolted awake in his seat, sweat pouring down his face. His nerves felt like they'd been dragged across a razor, and it took several moments before he could catch his breath. The door opened and Cyborg entered, his face grim.

"It's him. It's Slade."

Robin felt like the world just disappeared beneath his feet. Silently, he stood, and the two teens headed to the main room where Slade looked down at them on the massive computer screen.

"Good morning, Teen Titans, I do hope I didn't wake you," Slade said. Beastboy let out a soft growl.

"What are you an insomniac, who calls at five in the mor…ow!" BB gasped, Raven elbowing him in the chest. Her powers a breath away from destroying something. All of the Titans were like that. Beastboy's gloves had flecks of red showing from where his fists pounded into the wall, Starfire's eyes were lined in red, and Cyborg couldn't seem to get the twitch out of his right eye. And Robin didn't even want to think about how he must look right now. Slade was very pleased at this, who knew that a string of harsh words and a threat from a teen they barely even knew could do this much damage.

"What do you want?" Robin asked, hands curling into fists at his sides.

"Well that's precisely what you've been trying to find out, isn't it? And despite all your efforts, you're still in the dark about my intentions," Slade said. Robin had to turn away.

"Disappointing, Robin. I expected a little more from you."

"Like I care what you…"

"But, since you've been unable to discover my plan, I suppose I'll just have to reveal it myself," Slade said, the camera moving away from him to a device covered in a tarp, two robots pulled the cloth away.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of a Cronoton Detonator." The device opened into four sections humming, a blood red glow surrounding each level, every one of the Teen Titans gasped.

"Um, what's a crouton detonator?" Beastboy asked getting the name wrong and looking to Starfire, whose eyes were panicked.

"It eradicates all Cronoton's within a localized area, utterly destroying the space time continuum," she said.

"Huh?"

"It stops time, permanently," Raven clarified. Beastboy felt his jaw hit the floor.

"If he triggers that thing downtown, it'll freeze frame the entire city," Cyborg said leaning forward his hands clenched into fists.

"Tell me where!" Robin yelled at Slade, who was now back on the screen.

"You're a clever boy, Robin. I'm sure you and your little friends can figure it out. However, since I control the detonation, time, is not on your side," and that said Slade logged off. The small, square device still in his hand, that sent every nerve in Robin on edge. The leader growled.

"Fan out. Find it. Shut it down!" Robin said turning to stalk away. Beastboy and Cyborg were suddenly standing in his way, arms crossed over their chests.

"Hey, uh, maybe you should stay here and coordinate the search," BB said nervously. Robin stared at him in shock, not understanding where this was going.

"What?" Robin asked, Cyborg sighed.

"Man, when it comes to Slade, you got issues. Might be better for the team if you sit this one out," he said.

"No. There's too much at stake for me to…"

"Robin," Starfire said her voice sounding tired and beaten down. Robin turned to met her eyes, his heart clenching painfully in his chest from the look on her face.

"We have not forgotten the last time you have faced…"

"I made a mistake, Starfire. It won't happen again. I can handle it. I promise," he said turning back around, heading for the door.

"Would you at least like to know where to look?" Raven said at the computer going over the video feed frame by frame, stopping at the image of the Cronoton Detonator.

"Slade gave us more information than he realized," she said the team approaching, watching as she highlighted a certain area in a green grid.

"Here, in this reflection," Raven said pointing out the faint shimmer of lines.

"Oh, squiggly lines, way informative," Beastboy said sarcastically.

"If you use the lines as the starting point, you can create negative space and shade it in," Raven replied, her fingers moving across the keyboard: a word and numbers became visible, and she then flipped the reflection over to reveal.

"Pier 41," Starfire said.

"The docks," Robin answered as Beastboy blushed and apologized to Raven, who was giving him an _I-told-you-so_ look. The Teen Titans set out.

* * *

 

Danny watched silently while Slade spoke to the Titans. Giving up on his eyes ever being blue again, the teen shifted into his ghost form. The camera turned off and the device was lowered in the ground onto a boat. Slade passed him, never sparing a backwards glance.

"Follow."

The teen let out a growl but did as instructed. It was when they entered Slade's lair that Danny truly shuttered. For the clocks and gears reminded him to much of Clockwork. The halfa felt his shoulders slump at the thought of the time ghost. How long had it been since he last visited? But Danny pushed that thought aside, choosing instead to take in his surroundings. The gears took up most of the space. They turned in a broken repeating cycle, the pendulums swinging on the off beats, it was loud and utterly disorienting to look at. Turning away from the clocks, Danny noticed Slade watching him, his masked face unreadable. The halfa growled.

"Wonderful decorations, no doubt you have issues on proper time management," Danny smirked at his comment, but Slade never countered. Instead he marched forward, his metal combat boots making no sound on the cement floor. The teen screamed when Slade grabbed him by the throat and threw him hard into the far wall. Staggering and boiling with anger, Danny tried to stand, but two strong arms pinned him to the wall.

"You will not speak until spoken to. You will not do, until ordered to. You are to be nothing more than my weapon. If I order you to attack you will. If I order you to die you will," Slade said and with this, Slade let Danny fall to the floor. The halfa stared up at the man in shock, eyes glowing with defiance. Slade motioned to the other wall where the five Titans' vitals were being displayed, the nanoscopic probes floating in their blood.

"Do you understand?"

Danny bowed his head to hide the desperation in his eyes. "Yes."

"Good, your new uniform is in the other room. You will stay there until I order you elsewhere," Slade said the screens flipping over to a live feed of Pier forty-one. The Titans all approaching the building. Danny stood while Slade had his back towards him, both knowing the halfa wouldn't attack.

"Dismissed."

And Danny left for the other room. It was hard getting the other uniform to fit over his hazmat suit. After all, ghosts could only layer their clothes. Never change what you died in. That is unless they were born in the Ghost Zone, and since Danny hadn't, he was currently struggling with the tight black and bronze shirt and finally after much yanking, cussing, and straightening, the halfa got it over his head. It was a long sleeved turtle neck, the two colors splitting over his heart so that his entire neck and right side were bronze and his left side black. Slade's emblem replacing his over the center of his chest, its colors inverted across the dividing line. Sighing, Danny reached over and tugged on the combat boots over his pure white ones. And he clicked on the sliver armor until his shoulders, wrists, and legs were covered, and he snapped on the belt. Danny looked over to his appearance in the mirror and recoiled at the sight. For the metal added bulk to his lean muscled frame, reminding the halfa too much of Dan. Memories began to cloud his mind, dragging the teen down in their forcefulness, until Danny gripped his head pulling at the snow white locks.

"No, not right now," he whispered and forcing the memories back, Danny groaned. He needed to concentrate; he needed to know what Slade was planning. Hovering in the air, the halfa crossed his legs and tried to stretch his heightened sense of hearing beyond its breaking point. It was painful, but Danny began to hear Slade as he paced the main floor, the noisy clocks did nothing to help the teen focus. Instead they were giving him a horrible headache, but Danny didn't stop. Pushing past the disharmonious noise, the teen began to hear the Titans on the screen. Star's voice ringing like a soft bell.

"Robin, we are victorious," she said, her voice filled with worry.

* * *

 

Robin stood panting heavily, "Slade's got his finger on the button, and we've got nothing. Does that sound like a victory to you?" Robin spat, turning away and leaving his friends behind.

Once outside Cyborg activated his sensors, Beastboy standing next to him.

"Okay, we know the Cronoton Detonator was here, now we just have to figure out where it went," Cy said trying to focus his sensors.

"No problem we should split up and…"

"Waste hours searching only to come up empty handed," Raven said joining the two.

"Well, when you put it that way," Beastboy said blushing slightly. Starfire landing next to them. Robin staring off into the dark waters of the harbor.

"Raven is right, we must find some way to track the device," Star said. The boy wonder turned when he saw a shadow move. A worker emerging behind one of the buildings.

"Freeze!" Robin yelled taking off when the man bolted around the corner, the team momentarily stunned before racing after their leader.

Danny gasped when he felt his senses snap back in. His strength no longer being able to hold. Uncurling his feet, the halfa touched the ground breathing heavily, he'd managed to hear some of the Titans conversation. Although, he had no idea how close they were to finding the Cronoton Detonator.

"Interesting, you're more powerful than I imagined," Slade said causing Danny to spin and face him. How had he not heard the man? Mentally slapping himself, the halfa answered his own question, he'd been so focused on hearing the Teen Titans he drowned out all other noises.

"Well what can I say, old habits die hard," Danny said. The halfa should have known the punch would come.

* * *

 

Robin slammed the dock worker into the wall and held up Slade's symbol.

"Tell me everything you know about this!" He demanded, the man could only stutter, eyes wide in fear. Robin slammed him into the wall once more.

"Answer me, _now!"_

"I-I d-don't know. I've never seen it before!" The man stuttered, black energy encompassed Robin's torso and flung him back into the opposite wall. The worker quickly ran away as the Titans approached their leader. Raven dissipating the energy.

"You said you could handle it," Raven stated as Robin's feet touched the ground. He glared at his team and walked forward.

"You promised," Starfire said. The actions Robin was taking dragged knives across her injured heart.

"We're wasting time," Robin spat turning to walk ahead of the group.

"You know, just because we're trying to catch Slade, doesn't mean you have to act like him!" Beastboy snapped glaring at his leader. Robin stopped dead in his tracks. Whirling around, he marched back to his team and glared down at the changeling.

"Don't you ever compare me to him! Slade's trying to destroy the city. I'm trying to save it!" Robin yelled his voice echoing off the walls making all of Beastboy's worries and pent up anger explode around him.

"If you're trying to save the city, why can't you _see_ that your actions say otherwise!" BB yelled his tone bordering on a snarl. Robin recoiled, the words searing into his mind.

" _Why can't you see?"Danny screamed._

What was he not seeing? And why did Beastboy's words remind Robin of Danny's threat. Had the halfa really meant it?

Robin felt his head beginning to spin. His anger disappearing, watching Beastboy pant, fists trembling at his sides, stained blood growing bigger on the gloves. Oh god, he really was beginning to act like Slade. Robin stepped forward, palms outstretched to the green changeling in apology… when Starfire inhaled and sneezed, sending a giant unfocused star-bolt from her, _mouth_? The Teen Titans all stood in shock and slightly smoking, while Starfire rubbed her nose.

"Gesundheit," Raven said.

"Forgive me. I am allergic to metallic chromium there must be a source nearby," Star stuttered. Her breath hitching, and all of the Titans ran for cover as she let out another exploding star-bolt sneeze.

"Ugh, sorry," Star said looking absolutely miserable, the team emerging from their hiding places.

"Interesting," Cy said looking at his sensors then to Starfire who sniffled.

"Ugh, not really, on my world Chromium allergies are quite common."

"No, the key component of a Chronoton Detonator is a metallic Chromium core which means…" Cy said.

"Starfire can track it," Beastboy finished, and all of the Titans looked to the Tamaranean girl who sniffled once more.

* * *

 

Danny spat out a mouthful of mixed colored blood and stared at it like a bad Christmas present. Laughing a little at the memories that thought brought up, the halfa sat up. Wincing slightly from the throb of broken ribs. Not that that really bothered him. He'd taken far worse injuries than Slade could ever hope to dish out. But still, that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. And yeah, it hurt.

 Swaying slightly as his head started to spin, Danny stood and pressed his back against the wall, trying to keep the bile down. Once he was sure he wouldn't puke, the halfa gripped his left shoulder, took a shallow breath and pushed, feeling the pop of his joint returning to the socket. Danny let out a soft cry before he began rolling his shoulder back, making sure no permanent damage had been done. But despite all of his physical injuries, nothing could compare to his injured pride.

It had taken a lot of Danny's will power to not fight back. To let Slade speak to him like he was nothing more than a weapon and not a person. Of course, four years of being screwed mentally by Vlad made Danny pretty impervious to any mental trick this psychopath was saying. Still, it didn't mean that those words didn't burn through Danny's emotions. Making the halfa want to scream and be the weapon Slade wanted him to be. Although, the man would be shocked, when his so called 'weapon' unleashed all of his power back in that smug masked face of his.

Danny growled, he needed to focus and think of a way to free the Teen Titans. Overshadowing might work, but Danny didn't have the power to search through the person's mind. Plus, overshadowing could only last so long before the halfa was completely drained or Slade decided to resist. And he only had a limited amount of time to locate the trigger. Danny shuddered, and if he failed, Slade would destroy the Titans.

The halfa felt his heart constrict in his chest…he couldn't let them die. The only possibility was to wait and let Slade reveal where the trigger was. It would also mean he'd have to suck it up and be the weapon. Sighing, Danny let his head fall back against the wall with a soft thunk, green eyes closing. For now he'd wait, and Slade's little beat down wasn't going to stop the halfa from eavesdropping. Stretching his senses once more, the halfa began to listen to the sounds of water and weapon's fire.

"I will not be havin' attitude from a boat!" Cy yelled, causing Danny to grin. Well, looks like they found the detonator.

The Titans were deep in the sewers. Starfire holding Cyborg up as he activated his sonic cannon. Raven and Beastboy right behind them. The robotic teen felt worry at the thought of Robin going up against Cinderblock alone. For right before this boat chase started their leader had gotten yanked out by the giant rock and was forced to fight in another part of the sewers in a giant cavern, and the Teen Titans were about to help him, letting the Slade bot get away with the Chronoton Detonator, when Robin screamed at them to go. Starfire had wanted to stay behind, but Cy told her to follow their leader's orders. So now they were here, and Cyborg couldn't get the nagging feeling that Cinderblock had been purposefully waiting for Robin. Starfire dodged another electric yellow bullet, and Cyborg took aim pushing the worries out of his mind, he fired.

Slade was watching the whole thing play out on screen, arms crossed behind his back.

"Hurry, young Titans, your time is running out." The upstairs door exploded, Robin's silhouette standing in the light.

"Actually, we just went into overtime," Robin said.

Danny's eyes snapped open in shock and panic. How was Robin here? The teen pushed off from the wall, his mind racing.

"Robin, welcome. I've been expecting you for some time. I was beginning to wonder if Cinderblock was too much of a challenge."

Robin leapt onto the floor. Slade never turning away from the screen. Danny felt his blood run cold. That psycho had separated Robin from his team. He was purposely using Robin's desire to catch him to lure the Titan in. Why? Danny thought, his green eyes flashing in the light, his aura turning a deadlier white. Unless…

"Looking for this?" Slade asked facing the teen and holding up the square trigger, "Well, here it is," he said placing it on the ground and taking four steps back.

"If you want it, come and take it," Slade finished. Silently, Robin charged, and the fight began.

* * *

 

Cyborg destroyed the boats weapons system and looked up to Starfire.

"Thanks for the lift!" Cy said as she dropped him on the boat. The Slade robot quickly typed something into the computer before the Titan tapped him on the shoulder and threw him overboard. Cy looked at the screen which read 'autopilot engaged'. He tried to steer, but the wheel snapped off. Staring at it in shock, Starfire landed and approached him. Cy tried typing in a code, both teens screamed when the boat began zooming back and forth, screeching that it was an invalid code until Cy ripped the dash off and the boat came to a stop in a great reservoir. Raven and Beastboy landed.

"Please, tell me that's not how you're planning on stopping the detonator?" Raven asked looking at the crude way in which Cyborg had stopped the boat. He smiled sheepishly and tossed the dashboard into the water.

"Uh…"

"You do know how to stop it, don't cha?" Beastboy asked looking warily at his friend.

"How hard could it be?" Cy replied walking over to the device, with barely the press of a button it opened menacingly.

"Oh," Cyborg said, very hard.

* * *

 

Robin hit the concrete floor and rolled. He ran for the trigger once more and lunged, but Slade was faster and kicked him in the side. Sending the teen twenty feet back once more, further into the darkness of the turning gears.

"Come now, Robin, you'll have to do better than that. I haven't even broken a sweat," Slade said. Running forward, kicking the teen in the chest. Robin felt his body slowing down as he tried to dodge the elder's attacks, which seemed to only grow in power. Anger boiled over, and Robin let out a snarl, charging forward, his attacks becoming more predictable, he threw a punch, and Slade caught hold of the teen's fist, wrenching him forward. Robin screamed when Slade forced his elbow to bend painfully and threw him over his shoulder.

Robin hit the floor and slammed against the wall. Forcing all the wind out of his lungs. Gasping for air, the Titan tried to stand. His vision blurring, the sound of metallic boots hitting the ground, racing forward. Robin tensed for the punch, black cape falling over his shoulders. When something else attacked and looking up Robin saw a flash of white, and Slade being sent forty feet back into the depths of the gears.

"D-Danny?" Robin stuttered, momentarily forgetting everything that was happening. The Titan could only stare as the halfa turned to him, and suddenly he was at Robin's throat. His green eyes filled with thousands of emotions.

"Run," it was the only word Danny managed to say before he let out a scream and fell to the floor withering in agony, his suit electrocuting him.

"Danny!" Robin screamed, bending down as the volts stopped, and the teen simply lay there. His body twitching ever so slightly. Slade emerged from the darkness.

"What a shame, when a weapon decides to malfunction. Although, I must give him credit he's stronger than he appears," Slade said pocketing a small device. Robin saw red. Blindly, he charged, for all he wanted was to hurt the man who caused his friend pain. A fist connected with Robin's chest and the teen felt something crack. His body went slack, and he fell forward clutching his heart.

"Good technique. Good, but not perfect," Slade said speaking as if he hadn't just tortured Danny. Robin slammed his fist down in pure hatred.

"I understand you're frustration, you hate losing as much as I do. One of the many qualities we have in common." Slade said looking down at the teen. Robin snapped, and in a burst of power, he jumped nailing the man in his face. The Titan continued punching Slade, taking everything out on him until the man no longer looked like he could get up. Robin was so angered he never noticed how Slade never resisted. Walking away, the masked teen retrieved the trigger and went to stand next to his unconscious, now human, friend.

"It's over, Slade," Robin said.

"On the contrary, Robin, this is only the beginning," Slade said emerging from the shadows. The trigger in the Titan's hand disintegrating.

"Where's the real trigger?" Robin asked panic filling his stomach.

"Trigger, there is no trigger. Because there is no detonator," Slade answered. Robin froze in shock.

* * *

 

There were only three wires left to cut, the Chronoton core swirling in the center of the device glowing an angry red.

"Moment of truth ya'll, everybody ready?" Cy asked holding up one finger which had a small flame shooting from it.

"I can't watch!" BB whispered, although he couldn't turn away. Cy bent forward and sliced through the wire, the red core turned a calm, cool blue. Everyone sighed. The device became the blood color once more, and everyone screamed as it began to spread throughout the machine.

"We blew it, we'll be frozen in time forever!" BB screamed right when the device collapsed and fell in on itself.

"Um, why aren't we frozen in time forever?" He asked.

"Because this wasn't a Chronoton Detonator, it was a fake," Cyborg stated. All of the Titans looking at the device, none of them noticing the gun raising up from the other end of the boat. It fired red bullets at them, sending all of the Titans into the water.

"Ugh, So aside from the nasty taste of sewer water in my mouth, I think I'm okay," Beastboy said, Cyborg studied his sensors.

"Diagnostic sensors say I'm fine."

"Whatever that beam was supposed to do, it didn't do it," Raven said while Starfire smiled at her friends.

"So, we are victorious?" She asked.

Robin watched in horror as the events played out on the screen before him. The vitals of his friends appeared on screen, something coursing through their blood.

"Nanoscopic probes, the Chronoton Detonator was merely a decoy for a much larger trap. It's funny, Daniel had a similar reaction. However the bullets I fired at the Titans the first time were nothing more than blanks. A test run. These on the other hand, have the full capacity to eradicate your friends," Slade said gazing back to Robin who snarled.

"You can't control them. No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you," Robin stated.

"This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about Daniel. And it's about you," Slade said beginning to circle Robin who felt panic and fear setting in.

"What?" He said his voice sounded to quiet.

"Sending trouble your way, leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel, I was testing you. For some time now I've been searching for an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps, and, Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations," Slade said his grey eye smirking.

"No way would I ever work for you!" Robin said in disbelief and disgust.

"Really? Because Daniel gave in quite easily. After all, if he lets his friends die again, well let's just say I don't think he'd make it. So tell me, Robin, will you survive if you murder your friends?" Slade asked holding up his hand where a small device rested. A red button glistening in the dark light. Robin took a step back, Slade's thumb resting on the trigger, the teen's eyes filled with horror.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again, I will allow them to live. But, if you disobey even the smallest request, I will annihilate them, Robin, and I'll make you watch. So, do we have a deal?"

Robin could only glare. He knew perfectly how Danny must have felt. For the choice was obvious.

* * *

 

"Robin? Robin? Please respond," Starfire said through the communicator. The rest of the team emerging from the sewers.

"Why does he not answer?" She asked.

"His locators been deactivated. We have no way to find him," Cy stated, his gut clenching with worry.

"Not good," BB said.

"Robin, please you must answer. Robin? Robin where are you? First friend Danny and now you, please answer me? Robin?" Starfire kept asking, but the boy wonder ignored her, snapping on the last piece of metal. His uniform was identical to Danny's, only the dividing line ran straight down the middle. Slade's emblem blazing across the left part of his chest. Slade entered the room, Danny by his side, green eyes burning through everything. Silently, the halfa came to stand next to Robin. His unearthly presence comforting, and yet added fuel to Robin's already blazing fire. He'd get them out of here, he'd save his friends, and he'd definitely save Danny. Robin swore in his head glaring defiantly at Slade the entire time. The man merely took on a fatherly tone.

"I know it seems bad now, but trust me, you'll learn to like it. After all, with your ruthlessness and Daniel's merciless will, together, both of you will be unstoppable."

Slade left the teens, and in that moment, Robin called the man every dishonorable word possible in any language he'd picked up over the years. While Danny just named him a psycho-loop.

* * *

 

"Robin? Robin? Please, where are you?" The girl said through the communicator as she flew high over the dark city.

"Starfire, enough, you've been calling for forty-five minutes," Raven said speaking through the small speaker.

"Perhaps if I just try one more…"

"Come on, Star, if he's gonna pick up, he'd have done it by now," Beastboy said exasperated, "'sides you're kinda giving me a headache."

"But why does he not respond? Where could he be?" She asked. And deep down in the sewers Cyborg was examining the damage done by Cinderblock, his anger and guilt beginning to eat at him.

"Robin and Cinderblock definitely went a few rounds but I can't tell who won…or where they went."

"No sign of him here either," Raven replied looking at the layout of the city back at Titan's Tower. All her friends' locators flashing on the map, all except Robin's.

"I've been monitoring all the frequencies, but he hasn't checked in," Raven said frustrated.

"Oh, we're bad friends, we should never have let Robin do battle alone," Star spoke the wind whipping around her red hair.

Beastboy leapt from a building and transformed out of his monkey form.

"Yeah 'specially since Slade's big do da was a dud," he snapped, running onward.

"The Chronoton Detonator wasn't a dud. It was a decoy to lure us away from Robin, and we fell for it," Raven stated, the sound of crushing rocks filled the speaker, Cyborg destroying part of the sewers.

"Argh, shoulda known that thing was a fake if I just trusted…" He yelled stopping short.

"But why? Why did Slade wish to separate us from Robin?" Star asked.

"And if the detonator was a decoy…" BB said.

"What was Slade's real plan?" Raven finished her eyes narrowing, the red alarm went off.

"Titans, trouble!" Cyborg yelled.

* * *

 

Danny let go of Robin and watched as the former Titan fell from the sky and onto the skyscraper building and broke in.

Robin jumped into the lab and threw his boomerang. Slade's emblem now on it. The device exploded and the security case holding FoxTech's newest weapon opened with ease. The former Titan grabbed the device, the sound of the security force thundering his way.

"He's stolen the thermal blaster! Stop him!" The security chief screamed.

Robin ran out onto the giant circular balcony that surrounded the entire building. Dodging the bullets, the former Titan dove up into the shadows and leapt down when the police force disappeared around the corner. Now to go meet up with Danny. Heading for the corner Robin froze when the Teen Titans surrounded him.

"Freeze!" Cyborg yelled not able to see the thief. Robin dashed across the bridge. He'd have to jump and pray Danny would catch him.

Robin was nearing the edge when doubt filled him, he needed his friends to know who they were chasing, and he needed them to see Danny as well. Praying this didn't blow up in his face, Robin skidded to a stop and turned. The lights illuminating who he was, and the former Titan watched his friends skid to a stop and look at him in pure shock.

"Robin?" Beastboy said, eyes wide as saucers.

"Whoa," Cy said.

"Robin, why are you…" Star tried to ask. Robin growled and threw a boomerang, which exploded in green light from an ecto blast before it could reach his friends and cause serious harm. Robin felt so much relief at that, when he felt Danny's presence land beside him. Even though Danny was imprisoned, it hadn't meant that he didn't know how to play the game. Once more the Titans were in shock. Beastboy couldn't understand Robin and now Danny, who BB had started looking up to like a brother, were standing there glaring at them. The Teen Titans charged, and Robin drew the thermal blaster and destroyed the bridge, catching it on fire. Danny grabbed the former Titan and disappeared into the night.

Leaving their friends behind, Robin and Danny handed over the two weapons they were asked to steal. Slade taking them from their hands.

"Excellent, Robin, Daniel, I'm pleased, you're already proving to be the perfect apprentices."

"This deal can't last forever," Robin spat, his temper flaring, Danny tensed by his side.

"It can and it will. The probes can remain undetected for years. That is, unless you two decide to disobey me, and I in return, destroy your, _former_ friends," Slade said walking up to them. His tone nothing more than stating the facts. Robin returned that sentiment.

"Sooner or later you'll let your guard down, and I will get that controller, and the instant they're out of danger," Robin said his eyes flickering over to Danny, "you will pay."

"That sounds like a threat, young man, quite a good threat actually," Slade said walking past the teens. He paused looking back to see what would happen next.

"Betrayal, destruction, revenge, we really do think alike."

Robin spun faster than Danny could anticipate and watched as the teen lunged for Slade's arm. But the man was quicker and he soon had Robin on his knees, arm twisted back behind him. Danny charged an ecto-blast and held it to Slade's chest.

"You're wrong," Danny growled out, the psycho merely laughed and looked at the halfa and then to the Titan.

"Am I?" Slade asked releasing Robin who scrambled to his feet. Danny placing himself slightly in front of the Titan, warning him not to attack. Slade turned away, his voice cutting through the darkness.

"For you see, I monitored Robin's vital signs during the mission. Elevated heart rate, adrenaline, endorphins, you won't admit it, but on some level you enjoyed stealing. It was a thrill wasn't it, Robin?"

The Titan glared, rubbing circles across his arm. Slade working at the table, combining the two weapons, and Danny watched as Robin held the look of self doubt on his face. The halfa felt pure fury at Slade, who instantly reminded him of Vlad. Although, the fruitloop still had him beat on the whole, _let's mess with Danny's head_ , Slade obviously was Robin's Vlad. And in some twisted way it made sense. Vlad was half-human like Danny, and Slade was just as human as Robin was. Oh, why the hell did fruitloops and psychopaths always want apprentices as sons? Danny thought. And somehow, the way Slade was talking to Robin; he obviously wanted to include the son idea in his plan.

"You're going to keep stealing, and you're going to keep getting that thrill, and sooner or later, you will see things my way," Slade said turning around and snapping the newly designed weapon on the former Titans arm.

"Who knows, I might even become like a father to both of you."

Oh great, Danny mentally groaned, now _he_ was included in the psycho's delusion. Not that he already wasn't but hey, he wasn't looking for another fruitloop. Slade left the room and for a long time Robin could only stare at the new weapon hooked to his arm, when he finally spoke up, his voice was strong.

"I already have a father."

In that moment, Danny couldn't have been happier and so utterly sad. The halfa heard something fluttering high above the bunker, and it sounded like… bats?

* * *

 

Beastboy was pacing the floor, he knew his friends would need an explanation to why their friends had betrayed them. So the changeling did the only thing he could think of, fall back into the world of comic books. Where the lines of good and evil were clearly drawn. After all, maybe it would cheer them up.

"O.k. the way I see it, there are only two logical explanations. One, Robin and Danny have been replaced by evil robot doubles. Two, they're innocent victims of zombie mind control," BB finished closing the two comic books. Raven and Cyborg were sitting on the couch, not amused.

"As logical as that sounds, if anything was controlling their minds, I would have sensed it," Raven said looking downhearted.

"And my scanners confirm their biometrics, that was the real Robin and Danny. Those were our friends," he said both teens closed their eyes accepting fate.

"Lies!" Starfire yelled standing by the kitchen startling the team, "That was not Robin or Danny, your scanners are wrong. They're our friends and nothing could ever make them betray us!"Star said her eyes brimming with tears, for she couldn't believe it. That Danny would threaten them, that Robin would join Slade, that they would use all of Star's emotions against her. To hurt her.

"But something did," Raven answered her own eyes starting to water. Cyborg and Beastboy closed their eyes.

"And," Raven said taking a deep breath to steady her heart, "no matter how much we wish it weren't true. Robin and Danny are criminals now, and just like any other criminals…"

"The Teen Titans have to bring them down," Cy finished, tears fell down Star's sun creamed skin and Beastboy let out a soft whimper. The Tower alarm went off. There was trouble in the city.

* * *

 

Robin was instructed to steal from Wayne Tower, located in the center of Jump City's technology industry, and the teen tried to ignore the irony of it. Destroying the doors, the former Titan walked up to the device when Cyborg's voice filled the silence.

"You're not walking out of here, Robin."Robin spun to face his friends, "not without a fight, Titans, go!" Cy yelled and they charged. The former Titan let out a scream in rage. He had to remind himself he couldn't speak. Robin vaulted over Cyborg and escaped through the air vent, his heart beating frantically in his chest. He needed to get away.

"Danny, come in?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm on the roof, I need you to…" Robin was cut off, Slade snarling through the headset.

"Not so fast, Robin, you have yet to achieve your objective."

"The device was to heavily guarded, I'll have to steal it another time."

"No!" Slade yelled making Robin stop on the roof, the giant letters humming behind him. The former Titan tried not to think of the name they spelled.

"Go back, unless you want me to destroy them, go back and fight."

"Robin!" Cyborg said on the other side of the roof. Robin looked up to see his friends standing defensively, none of them wanting to fight.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but we don't want to fight you or Danny, we just want to talk."

Great, the one thing he couldn't do. Robin leapt into the air and kicked Cyborg in the chest. Beastboy looked to his friend and let his pained heart turn to anger.

"I guess there's nothing to talk about," he said and with this he let his form shift to a giant gorilla and attacked. Robin dodged, flipping onto the giant 'A' managing to trap Beastboy in it to prevent the changeling from crushing him. He leapt back onto the roof and ran past Starfire to attack Raven. After all, she was the only one who could stop him in his tracks and make him disobey. Robin continued to fight Raven, the girl shielding herself with black magic, but refusing to use it on her friend. Cyborg charged his sonic cannon and took aim. He had a perfect shot, growling in frustration at himself, he deactivated his weapon and charged. Beastboy broke loose and transformed into a ram, hitting Robin in his side and sending him rolling to the edge of the sixty story building, where he remained unmoving.

"Dude, are you o.k.?" Beastboy asked running over to Robin in fear. He was almost there when Danny shot up from the edge and punched the changeling back. He landed on the roof. Robin recovered jumping to his feet. Slade spoke in both their earpieces.

"Fight to win," then separately in Robin's ear, Slade instructed him to use the modified thermal blaster. Both teens charged forward. The former Titan throwing a flash grenade when Danny was caught in Raven’s black magic.

"Can't see!" She screamed as the halfa crashed to the ground and ran at Cyborg, who only blocked Danny's punches.

"C'mon man don't make me do this, I don't want to do this!" Cy yelled before blasting Danny back with his cannon. Beastboy and Raven surrounded him eyes weary, still hesitating to fight, and the halfa felt hate and guilt pool in his stomach. For he was in an impossible situation, just like when Vlad had forced him and Jazz to fight, only this was different. For the Teen Titans had no idea what was going on. That if this battle didn't look convicting, Slade would kill them. And that was something the halfa could never go through again. Steeling himself, Danny met their eyes with defiance, not directed at them. The four teens never noticed that Robin was up on the giant letter. Aiming his thermal blaster at Starfire, who held one glowing fist at his heart, her eyes pure green in anger.

"Do not move," Starfire ordered, her star-bolt almost pure white in the center of her palm.

"I thought I told you to use that thermal blaster. Attack!" Slade yelled through Robin's earpiece. The former Titan winced, but charged the device. Star's eyes widened, she now knew her answer to who Robin truly was.

"Robin, you are my best friend. I cannot be in a world where we must fight. If you are truly evil then go ahead, do what you must," she said the star-bolt dying in her hand, forest green eyes closing in acceptance. The Tamaranean girl refused to cry. Robin deactivated his weapon, eyes widening in horror.

"Starfire, no I…ah!" He gasped when Slade's voice filled his ear.

" _Robin,_ I gave you an order, if you won't attack, my probes will," Slade yelled and with the click of a button the nanoscopic probes moving through the Teen Titan's blood and interlaced with their clothes began to activate. Starfire, Raven, Beastboy, and Cyborg screamed as their bodies and clothes began to glow a florescent orange and red, their eyes a blinding white.

"No!" Danny and Robin screamed. The Titans withered in pain. Robin caught Starfire and held her close, but she gave no indication that she knew he was here.

"Stop, please!" Robin begged looking down to his friends. Danny in the middle of them, his eyes wide in panic.

"Attack, Robin, it's the only way to save them. Attack with everything you got," Slade said, and setting Starfire down. Robin apologized to her, she called his name. The former Titan raised his weapon and fired, the blast bouncing off a small green shield inches above her chest.

Starfire groaned slowly, opening her eyes she sat up on the letters and looked down to her friends who were also recovering, confusion on each of their faces.

"Okay, weirdness, what just…" Beastboy dodged when he heard the fire of the thermal gun above him, and Robin landed in the middle of them. Throwing the changeling towards Raven while Danny took out her legs, sending her to the ground. The halfa turned to Cyborg, the boy wonder going after Starfire. Both of them carefully aiming their blasts to miss their friends by inches. The Titans regrouped, and Danny and Robin backed up to the edge of the roof. In that moment, the former Titan knew what needed to be done. Throwing three exploding disks at Wayne's name, Robin leapt from the roof and tore out his earplugs. Free falling, he waited for Danny to do the same. Free of any listening devices, the halfa grabbed onto Robin's arm and the Titan said one word.

"Teleport."

* * *

 

The Teen Titans stood on the roof of the now destroyed Wayne Tower.

"They're gone," Raven said landing next to Star, Cy and BB coming to stand next to them.

"Everybody okay?" Cyborg asked to this Beastboy raised his question.

"Uh, I know where Robin picked up that heat ray. But where did he and Danny learn that little hurty glowy trick?"

"I do not think that was Robin or Danny. Perhaps it is Slade who has learned a new trick," Starfire said looking out over the city.

Slade kept rewinding the tapes, re-watching them, observing his two apprentices.

"Thrilling, they're progressing faster than I had hoped. All they needed was a little motivation," Slade said. Robin's fist came out of nowhere.

"Motivate this!" And he aimed his punch at the man's face. Slade threw him off. Robin landing on the ground, a few feet back from the elevated throne chair next to Danny, whose eyes held nothing but livid anger. The man stood and made his way down the stone steps.

"Robin, that was viscous, dishonorable, and ruthless. Excellent, you're becoming more like me every second."

Robin took a step back, horrified, Danny let out a growl.

"He's nothing like you, you deranged psycho," Danny said. The former Titan could only stare as Slade looked Danny dead in the eyes, the halfa showing none of his fear. Memories flashing behind his green eyes trying to suck him in.

"Is that disobedience?" Slade asked.

Danny smirked, "No, just facts. _This_ is disobedience." Turning intangible, the suit and armor clattered to the floor revealing Danny's black and white hazmat suit. Slade's eye widened in shock, Robin charged.

* * *

 

"I think I found something! The enhanced sensors are picking up radio interference on the nanoscopic scale," Cyborg said. Beastboy strapped to a chair in the living room of Titan's Tower, cords and wires ribboning out and feeding into a machine. The monitor showing the changeling's blood with tiny metallic probes attached to the red blood cells. Beastboy shivered.

"Those things are inside me? Ewww!"

"There inside all of us, billions of them!" Cyborg stated.

"With this technology at his hands, Slade can destroy us whenever he wants," Starfire said.

"Unless Robin and Danny do whatever he says," Raven replied looking at the screen. Beastboy crossed his arms and snorted.

"And you guys said my zombie idea was crazy," But in his heart, BB was sighing in relief for his friends hadn't become villains.

"We need to find them!" Starfire exclaimed in fear.

"If I can track the probes signal, I should be able to…got it!" Cyborg said, and with this the Titans took off after their friends.

* * *

 

Robin skidded across one of the black gears and dodged when he heard Slade lunging at him. His strength capable of breaking through steel. Danny caught the man's fist and flung him backwards into the shadows. Both teens backed up, not knowing where he was, and both dodging the out of sync machinery. The man appeared behind a moving rod and the former Titan jumped, spinning. The forceful roundhouse kick sent Slade to the ground next to the large screens displaying their friends' vitals. Slade turned, the bronze side of his mask cracked.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that."

"I only wish I'd done it sooner," Robin spat throwing Slade's emblem next to the man.

Slade let out a roar and attacked. Danny prepared to defend Robin, charging a green ecto-blast. But at the last second, the man wrenched to the side and grabbed the halfa on his upper right arm. The bone snapped and an old scar resurfaced. Danny screamed as Jazz flooded his mind.

" _I'll always be here little brother," she said smiling, the specter speeder warm and smelt like faint vanilla from Jazz's shampoo._

_Vlad laughed manically in the stands, holding the remote that could destroy his sister from the inside out._

As Danny went down, and Slade turned to Robin, the halfa began to remember a conversation he'd had with Vlad that now seemed truer than ever.

"The first thing you need to learn is gratitude," Slade growled out. Robin rolled onto his side and away from Slade having been thrown down in the fight. Danny pushed himself up into a sitting position and glared.

"But the only thing you two seem worried about are your _worthless_ _friends_!" Slade hissed, turning his one eye to Danny. "Perhaps you didn't believe me. After all, what's wrong with five more deaths?"

Danny suddenly couldn't breathe. Slade looked to Robin, "maybe I should just get rid of them." Robin shrunk back in defeat.

"Don't, we'll do whatever you say," the former Titan said, his mind reeling in questions for Danny. The boy wonder knew the halfa's family had been killed, but the newspaper only said it was an explosion. Just what had happened? Slade turned and smirked as Danny and Robin stood next to one another.

"Good boys, and from now on, I want you to call me Master," he said. A star-bolt slammed into Slade and sent him flying. Both teens looked over to see their friends. Starfire's eyes a violent electric green, her fists glowing in power almost concealing the other Titans who looked equally pissed.

"Leave them alone," Starfire demanded her bell like voice dark with fury.

Danny felt his mind swirl. Everything beginning to crash down around him. There was a roaring in his ears, his body exhausted from too many sleepless nights, and his emotions were pushed far past his breaking point. And now the people he was trying to protect had willingly run into danger.

" _We have to get out of here!" Sam yelled._

_"What, why?" His mother asked. Danny had seen the entire event play out as he was traveling through the time stream which was compressed around him, trying to throw him back and forward all at the same time._

" _Because the Nasty Burger is going to explode! And we're three feet from it!" Tucker exclaimed to Jack, Maddie, and Mr. Lancer. The thing dressed up in his skin glowered at his two best friends._

"Attack!" Slade yelled. Danny watched in a fog as Robin ran forward, pleading to his friends.

"Get out of here, go! You don't know what those beams did to…"

"Dude," Beastboy said.

"We know," Raven deadpanned.

"And we don't care," Cyborg stated.

"We are your friends, Robin and Danny. We are not leaving without you," Starfire finished, the Titans all agreeing with her.

"How very touching."

" _I'll tell you why, because that's not Danny!" Jazz screamed in the Fenton peeler suit, firing at her brother, revealing the monster beneath._

" _Where's our boy?" Danny's parents demanded before the thing laughed._

" _I am your boy!" It screamed._

" _What kind of parents are you? The world's leading ghost experts and you didn't even realize that your own son was half ghost! C'mon, Danny Fenton, Danny **Phantom,** ever notice the similarities, Jazz did."_

" _Don't move!"Jack ordered, pointing his charged ecto weapon at the ghost._

" _Actually, no one's going anywhere, not until it's time for you to be blown everywhere," it said trapping them to the boiler in ecto rope and gags. Jazz attacked, but soon she too was trapped on the boiler. Danny was almost there, he needed to stop him. Save them._

"But Robin and Danny don't need any friends," Slade said and with this, the man pressed the red trigger attached to the hidden under part of his wrist, and a separate red machine began to glow a sickening electric red. Memories and reality no longer seemed different from one another, and Danny screamed unsure of who to save. Something inside his core, began to spark and tear through Danny's skin, but he didn't know who to attack. Robin panicked watching as his friends screamed in agony, their skin orange and red. Danny could see them, both of them.

" _I won't turn into that ever. I promise."_

Slade was saying something about disobedience, but neither teen was listening. While the world spun, Danny met Robin's eyes, and a silent message was sent between them. One that would tear the halfa apart, but he none the less accepted. Vlad's voice broke through his conciseness.

"… _You'll always be put in the impossible situation."_

Robin spun and ran to the strange device. Slade screamed when he realized what his apprentice was going to do. The man needed to stop him, but he was met by Danny whose powers crackled around him. He released lighting directly into Slade just as Robin's hands slammed down onto the device. The teen screamed in pain, nanoscopic probes forcing their way into his system. Danny sank onto his knees when Robin's vitals appeared on screen.

" _You're too late to save them," Dan said._

Danny had just condemned Robin and the Titans to death. He couldn't save them. The halfa couldn't understand the incoherence of the words in his mind, and now more than ever he wished for everything to stop. In a dream like state, the halfa watched Robin stand. Even when his body tried to wither and contort in pain, but the Titan forced himself to move until he was standing in front of Slade.

"New deal, Slade, if I lose my friends, you lose an apprentice. And I know how much you hate to lose," he said and Robin fell to the ground, the pain too much, and he screamed. The sound ripping Danny apart as an explosion danced across his vision, slamming him down onto the quaking ground. Fire. He was on fire. Slade gazed down to Robin in pure loathing, everything was falling apart. Left with no choice, he tore the device from his wrist, the small trigger self destructing. The Titans recovered, and Robin smirked. He wasn't aware of the sacrifice he just paid. Robin looked up as Slade moved to kick him. The Titan caught it and threw him.

"Titans, go!"

Beastboy tore through Slade's armor with his tiger claws, Starfire and Cyborg blasting him back while Raven grabbed his feet in black magic, twisting in the air the same moment Robin kicked Slade in the face and the mask shattered, revealing part of his shadowed face. Shocked, Slade retreated, pulling down a lever but before he disappeared, the man turned, maliciousness in his voice.

"Another day, Robin, but you've already lost one close friend," he said, the room turned red and began to explode. The Teen Titans froze in horror, and for the first time they noticed Danny, laying on the ground in pain. Hands clenching his head, trying to drown out the noise around him.

"Titans, move!" Robin yelled Cyborg ran forward and scooped Danny up in his arms. Starfire ripping out the nanoscopic device as the building exploded around them. They emerged in the sewers and continued to run, all of them confused and afraid.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Robin yelled heading back to the Tower.

"I don't know!" Cy screamed all of them couldn't understand.

Danny's mind was fractured, he knew he wasn't lost, but he couldn't find the exit. It was loud. Vlad's voice wouldn't go away. He let them die. He let Robin put his life on the line. The halfa suddenly felt very tired, he didn't want this. He didn't want the responsibility, the guilt, the pain. Danny didn't want to be a hero anymore. But what did he want? In his haze, he felt his body being laid on a bed, people moving around him, there were five of them. Suddenly, Danny knew and in a moment of hating how truly weak he'd become, he knew what he wanted, even if it meant breaking a promise.

The halfa opened his eyes which were distant and lost, the Teen Titans surrounding him.

"Danny, are you o.k. what's wrong?" Beastboy asked next to him.

"Danny, please, we need to help you," Robin begged. Danny smiled, he felt the sting of betrayal. But who betrayed him, did the Titans? Or was he betraying himself? The teen felt the dream beginning to pull him in, he just wanted to stop, to truly end.

"Sorry," he whispered and Danny closed his eyes and fell into blackness. He planned on going to the dream. The place that would cease his existence. But as he was falling, the wind whipping around his face, Sam's voice suddenly howled at him.

" _Danny, you promised! Please don't go there!"_

"Sam?" Danny whispered.

" _Danny!"_

"Sam!" Danny opened his eyes, he couldn't go there. It was the promise he was intending to break, but in trying to escape, the halfa felt tendrils of darkness wrap around him. He began to struggle; he needed to go back to the Teen Titans regardless of the pain. But his body was too weak, his mind too tired to fight the onslaught of his torrential emotions, and Danny didn't know what to do. In one final attempt to free himself, the halfa did the only thing he could think of, and instead of falling into the dream, he fell into his memories. Or possibly somewhere in between, he couldn't be too sure at the moment. Danny prayed in his one moment of clarity, that the Teen Titans would find him.

* * *

 

The Titans were frozen in fear while two blue rings formed and changed their friend human.

"W-why did he apologize?" Beastboy stuttered.

"Danny?" Starfire asked walking up to him, she tried to shake him awake. But no matter what, he didn't stir.

"Danny, you must wake up, Danny?" She yelled her voice rising to a painful level.

"Why does he not awaken?"

"Because, Danny's gone catatonic," Cyborg said jumping into action. His sensors scanned over everything that had been happening moments before.

"How is that possible?" Robin asked his question sounding more like a demand.

"I don't know, man. It could be caused by a lot of things. After all, we've really been pushing him. Maybe he finally couldn't handle it anymore," Cy said his voice a whisper.

"No, Danny wouldn't do that we're his friends…." Beastboy said voice shaking.

"And I betrayed him," Robin said causing the entire team to look at Robin in shock. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the halfa.

"I knew down in the lair that signaling Danny to defend me while I went after the nanoscopic device was too much, but it was the only thing I could do. God, what must he have been thinking when he watched us nearly die!" Robin yelled slamming his hands down on the hospital rail.

"It doesn't matter. We need to get Danny back," Raven said speaking for the first time, her expression one of pure determination.

"We can't ponder over what was, we hurt Danny, and now we need to get him back."

"How?" Beastboy asked.

Raven motioned for them to follow. Cyborg silently picking up Danny, and they all headed into the living room.

Thirty minutes later, all of the devices were turned off, candles and incense burning around the room. The Teen Titans all sitting in a circle with Danny resting in the center. His expression one would have when in a deep sleep. Raven took a deep breath and looked to her friends.

"I'm going to pull our spirits into Danny's mind. If you say he's catatonic, then he's not lost. But trapped somewhere, trying to get out, if we can find his real self he'll wake up," Raven said the Titans all nodded.

"Let's do this," Beastboy said, but Raven cut him off.

"However, if we can't find Danny, or if he won't come, we'll be trapped forever in the recesses of his mind so if you don't want to come speak now," she said. Robin met her gaze.

"We're not going to abandon him again," he said and Cyborg, Starfire, and Beastboy all held the same looks. Raven nodded and began to chant, her eyes turning pure white.

* * *

 

Slade ran through the night, he felt anger and hate boiling in his veins. But sick satisfaction at Danny's demise, even if it meant him losing a valuable apprentice. Arriving at his destination, the man entered his safe house. His mind already planning his next ten moves. But first he needed a new mask. The villain never noticed the red eyes watching him or the way the creature smiled, showing white fangs.

"Interesting," Vlad Plasmius said, he could us this.

* * *

 

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" And black magic connected her mind and the Teen Titans, and together their spirits emerged and flew into Danny.

The Titans screamed as they fell out of the big blue sky and landed in a park next to a half set of monkey bars.

"Ouch," Beastboy groaned, getting up and rubbing his back.

"Did we make it?" Starfire asked and the team looked to Raven, who was about to answer when a gasp caught their attention. Looking over to the monkey bars, they gasped when they looked up to a little boy no more than five. With crow black hair and startling blue eyes. Danny Fenton smiled down at them, pure joy on his little face.

"Who are you?" He asked, and after a moment Robin stepped forward and kindly smiled.

"We're the Teen Titans, my name's Robin. And this is Cyborg, Starfire, Beastboy and Raven, who are you?" Robin asked. The child laughed and waved.

"My name's Danny," he said.

 

AN: Read & Review

~Rin

 


	15. Finding Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
> 
> If you know how to link the breaks in this chapter up to this summary, please let me know.

**Lay down your sweet and weary head...soon your tears will pass away.**

 

" _The best of houses glittered and reeked and ran with blood."_

_~Beowulf_

Titans Phantom

Chapter 15: Finding Him

Parts One through Six

**Part One:**

"You guys look really strong," the child said, sitting up on the monkey bars.

"Thanks, you're really strong too you know," Robin replied, but his mind wasn't really focusing on Danny's words. Instead he and the team were having a hard time not being drawn in by the child's presence. For Danny seemed to radiate. His blue eyes so bright they looked like glass had captured the ocean, his pupils holding the waves that crashed around in childish innocence. It was so cliché, but the Titans all thought he looked like a fallen angel.

"What are you guys staring at? Is there something on my face? Jazz says there is, but I can never find it," Danny said his eyebrows scrunching up, Beastboy chuckled.

"Nah, you're fine."

Danny sighed, "Good."

"Why are you here on the bar of monkeys alone, little friend Danny?" Starfire asked walking forward. Suddenly, the innocent face fell.

"Because no one wants to play at this time of day. But Mommy says it's the only time she can get off work down in the basement," Danny answered the reply sounding distraught and well practiced, or perhaps he had just gotten used to stating the facts. Raven stepped forward, her team mates all trying to hide their looks of pain from the child, so he wouldn't pick up on their emotions.

"Then perhaps we could play with…" Raven was cut off when the sound of someone trying to climb caught theirs and Danny's attention. Everyone looked down to see another small boy with mocha colored skin and hazel blue eyes trying to reach Danny.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked no longer paying any attention to the Titans. The boy looked up and frowned.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Tryin' to get to you of course!" the little boy said as he vainly tried to jump.

"Why?" Danny asked bewildered the new boy who let out a puff of air.

"I want to play! Mommy got me a new game, and I want to show you or someone for that matter!" the boy said sitting down on the tiny pebble rocks pouting, his big glasses slipping down his nose.

"O.k.!" Danny yelled, excitedly jumping from the bars and landing on the uneven ground in a thump. His arms failing while he tried to situate himself next to the boy who started laughing.

"What was that? You look like a fish out of water, and I've seen what those look like on TV!"

Danny blushed. "Shut up, at least I can climb."

"Yeah, and not get down. I'm Tucker Foley by the way, which means I'm too fine," Tucker said puffing out in pride while Danny smiled.

"My name's Danny Fenton which means…ugh what should it mean?" He asked and both boys contemplated but eventually gave up. And the Teen Titans watched as Tucker pulled out one of the very first Gameboy systems and a game chip called Doom.

"Oh my gosh, that's the original version of Doom, so cool!" BB exclaimed rushing forward.

"I wanna play!" he yelled excitedly, but Cyborg nabbed him before the changeling could reach the boys.

"Remember, we're here to help Danny, not play video games with him, you little grass stain," he scolded.

"Ah," BB said, but it was at this point the team noticed that the children no longer seemed to know they were there.

"Why does little Danny no longer speak with us?" Starfire asked walking forward and waving her hand in front of the children who kept passing the game back and forth, never once hogging the toy like most might.

"Because this is one of Danny's memories, and we're not a part of it," Raven answered, her hair fluttering in the wind.

"So we could speak to him earlier because Tucker hadn't shown up yet, therefore the memory hadn't started," Robin clarified which Raven nodded.

"For some reason Danny wants us to see this. This moment is important to him, and we need to figure out why."

"Well, he did just make a friend," Beastboy said looking back to the boys who screamed in delight as they reached level three.

"And little Danny did say that his mother's work prevents him from making friends," Starfire added.

"But how will this help us find the real Danny?" Robin asked, a hint of desperation entering his voice. Because none of the Titans could figure out what their friend was trying to show them. Suddenly the wind stopped, and both children looked up from their game in anxiousness.

"Did you hear that?" Danny asked his blue eyes confused.

"It was just the wind," Tucker stated his little voice small and timid, sending all of the Titans on high alert for whatever was about to happen. The noise came again from behind one bush at the edge of the playground. Its sound grating to the ears. Danny suddenly stood, his frame shaking in fear, but he was determined to find out what it was.

"Come on," Danny said to Tucker whose eyes were wide as saucers.

"Over there? Nuh uh, no way, no!" He said, but Danny just grabbed his hand and pulled him along. Tucker, while protesting, never let his friend go, or tried to resist. The children where almost to the bush when the noise stopped, and hesitantly, Danny reached forward and pulled the underbrush away. The crow standing at the base of the tree let out a screech along with the children and the Titans.

"It's a crow?" Robin asked as the team looked to each other in confusion and watched as the boys slowly inched forward.

"Dude, why isn't it moving?" Tucker asked while they stared at the bird that was knee deep in autumn leaves just staring right back at the children. Black eyes calmly surveying them.

"Maybe he's hurt?" Danny suggested moving forward on hands and knees while Tucker stood behind him.

"What are you doing?" Tucker whispered frantically.

"Well, we can't just leave him. Mommy says it's bad for birds to stay on the ground," Danny answered stretching out one tiny hand.

"Hey little bird, do you want some help?" the child asked. The crow only stared before lowering his head. Letting Danny's fingers thread through the sleek black and oil blue feathers. Both kids awed, and the Titans were in shock.

"No bird in its right mind would _ever_ let a human touch him!" Cyborg said his voice painfully loud. Watching as Danny stroked the crow, who waited patiently as the little boy ran his fingers curiously across the silky black wings, until blue eyes spotted something underneath the leaves. Brushing them away, revealed a plastic six pack soda holder wrapped around the crows feet, ensnared on a tree root.

"Tucker, the birdies stuck! Here, help me get him loose," Danny said and quickly Tucker knelt down beside his friend all fear lost, both gently began untangling the crow that never attacked. Even when Danny had to lift him up slightly, or when Tucker had to hold a clawed foot so Danny could rip the plastic apart. It was only a couple of minutes. But for the Titans it felt like hours watching the children work for what they were doing was…impossible. With one final pull, the plastic came free and the instant the crow was free, he soared high in the sky cawing in delight. Circling the boys one time before disappearing into the forest. Danny and Tucker beamed at each other.

"That was awesome!" Tucker screamed.

"I know, I can't believe I got to pet him!" Danny said back, both jumping up and down. Pretending they could fly, when their mothers' voices caught their attention.

"Coming!" Both boys yelled running back to the monkey bars to grab Tuckers small backpack and his red knit hat that had fallen off from the wind. As Danny ran off, Tucker picked up his game on the ground and stared at it for a minute.

"Tucker, come on!" Danny called from the edge of the park, their mothers standing on the hill.

"Just a second!" Tucker said and pulling out the game chip of Doom, the little boy met the Teen Titans eyes.

"Here," Tucker said handing the chip to Beastboy, who could only stare in disbelief.

"W-what why?" He stuttered, and Tucker beamed up at him through his big square glasses.

"Because you said you liked it earlier, right?" the child asked. Beastboy hesitated, wondering how Tucker had heard him.

"Well yeah, but…"

"Good!" Tucker said turning around to head to Danny but as he ran the little boy turned and called back. "Cause you'll need it later!" And with this he met up with Danny and both boys disappeared, leaving the Teen Titans alone in the park. Beastboy spun to face Raven.

"I thought you said Tucker was a memory? Then how the heck did he know to give me this!" BB shrieked waving the chip around. Raven was just as stunned.

"I don't know, but that definitely was a memory. So Tucker shouldn't have been able to see or hear us, let alone give you something." She said.

"Are you sure that was a memory, Raven?" Robin asked looking over to his friend.

"After all, that crow, what Danny and Tucker did is impossible," he finished, but Raven shook her head.

"I'm sure, everything we saw was a memory. It's ironic though," she added, trailing off staring at nothing in particular.

"What is?" Starfire asked but strangely, Cyborg was the one who answered.

"In most legends, crows are believed to be the carriers of spirits, and the guardians and harbingers' of death."

Everyone was silent, Beastboy gazing down at the Doom game in his hand before pocketing it. Everyone jumped when they heard the sound of a school bell ring and looking up the Titans saw a middle school across the street.

"Anybody up for school?" Robin asked, and the team headed forward and through the doors of Spectral Middle School, home of the spectral black cats.

The school was circular in design. All diverging hallways would eventually lead back to the main path. As the Titans waded through the crowds of students who were off in their own worlds, some people seemed to stick out more than others until they spotted Danny. Quickly, the team made their way over to him as he placed books in his locker and again the Titans found themselves staring. For the halfa was twelve and scrawny, wearing baggy blue jeans and red converses, a long light blue shirt fell over his frame, slipping past his shoulders making him appear fragile, his raven black hair messy and unruly. Yet his eyes still held innocence. Danny closed his locker and pulled out his schedule as Tucker joined him from the crowd.

"Hey man, how was your weekend?" Tucker asked his frame slightly broader than Danny's, but instead he wore baggy cargo pants and a red knit sweater, his hat having been ordered off his head much to the adolescent's displeasure.

"I don't know, Tuck, what did we do this weekend?" he asked sarcastically as his friend yanked out his PDA.

"Well, first we kicked some major butt at Doom, and then we watched the horror movies marathon down at the theater for twenty hours straight…"

"My back is still sore from that," Danny cut in.

"Then we settled in and had some of my mom's good old fashioned home cooking!" he finished as the two headed down the hallway towards the cafeteria.

"Tucker, that's all you care about, food."

"Exactly!" The boy said as they sat down with their lunch trays, both teens jumped when they heard a girl scream.

"Run, it's the anti-establishment freak!" a cheerleader yelled and both boys looked up when a girl with ink black hair walked through the cafeteria doors. She was strange, her skin was pale, but not sickly, and she wore black baggy pants with purple lace down the side and a long sleeve black shirt with a skull on it. Her hair was in a high ponytail, and her combat boots were steel tipped, but what most people failed to notice were her eyes, which were the color of amethysts. The girl glared around the room before stalking off to a secluded table with her lunch box to eat.

"Whoa, she could be your sister, Raven," Beastboy said to the girl, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"Man, no wonder Danny was so hostile when he met you, Rae," Cy said. But the team's attention turned back to the boys when the halfa gasped.

"Hey, Tuck, doesn't she seem familiar?" Danny asked never looking away from the girl who was eating quietly in the corner.

"Dude, everyone is familiar, we've probably been with the same people our whole lives and never known it! After all, this town is pretty small," Tucker said eating his ham and Bar-B-Que sandwich.

"Well there's that, but I just know, I got it! We met her in second grade remember? You threw up in that girl's lunch box and told her Rickey Marsh did it!" Danny exclaimed. Tucker who had been taking a sip of his chocolate milk spat it out.

"That was her! She totally pushed him off the monkey bars for that!" he screamed drawing attention to himself from several passing students. The Titans chuckled at the look of terror on his young face.

"C'mon, let's go say hi!" Danny said enthusiastically, grabbing his friend's wrist. Tucker stayed firmly in his seat.

"Meet her? Nuh uh, no way! Did you not see her steel toed boots, she'll totally kill us, and I don't want to add 'got beat up by a girl' to our all ready low social standing. Or to the list of things that happened to me before I kicked the bucket!" Tucker said catching his breath. Danny merely rolled his eyes.

"Oh lay off it, Tuck, she's eating all by herself. Plus, we had a social standing?" Danny asked in amusement. His friend let out a sigh.

"Fine, but only if you promise to _never_ tell her I did that. And yeah dude, our social status is right up there with band geeks*," Tucker said standing up and following Danny who was making his way over to the girl.

"Um hi," Danny said shifting nervously on the other side of the table. The girl let out a frustrated sigh.

"For the last time I'm Goth, not Emo!" she said, nearly yelling at the boys who backed up, palms raised in surrender.

"We never asked that, we only wanted to say hi!" Danny said taking a seat along with Tucker, the girl merely looked shocked.

"Uh, o.k. who are you?" she asked blushing slightly from her outburst.

"I'm Danny and this is…"

"Tucker Foley as in to fine," he said. Both Danny and the girl balked before they burst out laughing.

"Oh, man that's just….ha! I'm Sam Mansion by the way, nice to meet you," she said while Danny got himself under control. Tucker merely smiled unaffected by his friends. The three teens sat in a comfortable silence before Danny could no longer resist asking his question.

"Hey Sam, you wouldn't have happened to be in Mr. Cobb's class in the second grade?" he asked, Tucker visibly paled at his side.

"Yeah, I was the girl who had to wear those dumb pink frilly dresses ugh…" She shuddered while both boys laughed and just like that, the three became friends.

"So, you guys excited about seventh grade?" Tucker asked fading out of existence, the scene before them beginning to shift and bend.

* * *

 

**Part Two:**

"Ugh, what's happening?" Beastboy asked feeling dizzy.

"Danny must be moving onto another memory," Raven said stepping forward. Colors and sounds filling their ears until a big burly man's voice echoed around them.

"So Danny, you and your little friends want to hunt ghosts," he boomed, and the Titans found themselves standing in a basement lab. Danny, Tucker and Sam sat in chairs while the big man with black and white hair in an orange jump suit turned to face them.

"Uh, actually, Dad, I want to be an astronaut," Danny said, now fourteen his face thinning out, beginning to lose its baby fat. Showing the workings of a defined bone structure underneath. The Titans moved forward drawing closer to the teens. His frame was hidden in a big white T-shirt with a red oval on it which hung past his shoulders and light wash blue jeans, the infamous red converse still on his feet, his black hair spiky and unruly.

"That man is Danny's Dad? Whoa," Beastboy said in amazement, looking up at the six foot five tall man.

"Sorry, Mr. Fenton, I was into ghosts, but they're so main stream now, kinda like cell phones," Sam said, her hair now in a bob cut pulled into a half ponytail, her shirt cropped above her bellybutton showing toned muscle, she wore a mini thigh black and green stripped skirt with purple stockings and the same style of combat boots, her lips a delicate shade of violet.

"Waste these looks and all this charisma hunting ghosts? Criminal," Tucker stated dressed in a red beret, his black glasses now fitting perfectly, his long sleeved yellow turtle neck shirt hugging his slim frame, green cargo pants being held up by a black belt, his tan army shoes laced up and well used.

But Jack didn't seem to mind the teens disinterest on the subject matter. He merely turned to a lab table and began sorting through the piles of equipment and beakers.

"Well, if you do feel like hunting ghosts, there are a few things you need to learn," he said, and Danny was looking at the floor sighing dejectedly when a blue fog emerged from his mouth.

"What was that?" Star asked watching as Danny sat up straighter and turned to a giant portal.

"It's a ghost portal!" Cy exclaimed the Titans just noticing it as the device opened and from its swirling depths emerged two eco-pusses. Immediately, they grabbed Sam and Tucker preventing them from screaming, while dragging them from their chairs. Danny leapt up and transformed in a flash to fight, leaving the Titans unsure whether to watch Danny, or Jack who began to speak.

"Sure, I've never seen a ghost, but when I do, I'll be prepared and so will you, whether you want to be or not. It all starts with your equipment," Jack said as Danny threw one ecto-puss across the lab, making Sam and Tucker fall back in their seats right as Jack turned around holding out a mechanical thermos. The Titans stared in shock, their mouths hanging open.

"Sam, Tucker, this is the Fenton thermos, it's supposed to trap ghosts," he said turning back around to the table, "but since it doesn't work yet, it's just a thermos." Danny kicked an ecto-puss across the room, back to the portal. "A thermos with the word Fenton in front of it!" Jack said, his son hurtled the other ecto-puss towards the portal. Both ghosts dazed and confused retreated inside of it, the green energy shutting off. Danny transformed back into his human self and jumped ten feet across the room to stand by his friends, panting in exhaustion, when Jack turned and pointed towards the portal.

"And that, that is the Fenton portal. It releases ghosts into our world if I want it to or not and someday, I'll figure out how that works too! Now, who wants to hunt some ghosts?" Jack asked, walking up to Sam and Tucker, who were visibly shaking. Danny vainly trying to catch his breath.

"You kids, look at you! You're too excited to speak, so, I'll just go on speaking," Jack said oblivious to the whole situation, and as the man continued to talk, Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire, and Beastboy didn't know whether to laugh, cringe or just turn away from the hilarious, but oh so wrong events. The images began to shift, and suddenly the Titans were standing on a stairwell, the large window overlooking the front of the school.

"Casper High School, home of the Ravens," Cy said looking at the sign.

"Is everything here about ghosts?" Beastboy asked when the sound of people approaching caught their attention. Danny, Sam and Tucker all began climbing up the stairs.

"I'm telling you guys, I've only had these powers for a month because of the accident, and I still barely have any control. And on top of that, my parents' inventions won't leave me alone!" Danny exclaimed at the top of the stairs right next to the Titans.

"So, you still haven't told them, have you?" Tucker asked, the teen sighed.

"No. But I think I should," Danny said. Sam let out a huff, her mind having been elsewhere.

"Why? Parents won't listen, and what's worse, they don't understand? Why can't they accept me for who I am?" She screamed both boys stared.

"Sam, I'm talking about my powers, my problems. I promise me and Tuck will hear yours in say about the next thirty seconds."

"Oh, right, sorry Danny." Sam said flushing.

"And what's worse, if someone finds out I go from geek to freak around here," Danny continued not noticing he was beginning to sink through the floor.

"Kinda like what you're doing now?" Tucker observed, Danny let out a scream as Sam and Tuck grabbed his arms and pulled him up.

"Ugh, darn it!" He groaned annoyed and began stomping up the rest of the stairs ranting, Sam, Tucker, and the Titans all following.

"If my Dad could invent something that made me half ghost, why can't he invent something that turns me back to normal?" Danny asked looking down at his shoes while turning intangible, walking straight through a soda machine before turning back.

"Danny, your powers make you unique, unique is good," Sam said trying to cheer her friend up. Looking for a subject change, she suddenly smiled.

"That's why I'm an ultra recyclo-vegetarian." Sam stated.

"Which means what?" Tucker asked walking up, Danny rolled his eyes.

"It means she doesn't eat anything with a face on it."

"Aw, who cares about that stuff. Danny, two words, meat coinsure," Tuck said, bending over and taking a sniff of his friend, "last night, you had Sloppy Joes."

"Impressive," Danny said. Sam gagged.

"Meat heightens the senses, and my all meat streak is fourteen years strong," Tucker said proudly.

"And it's about to end. The school board finally agreed to try a new cafeteria menu, I wore them down," Sam said much to Tucker's horror.

"Wait, what did you do?" Tucker asked. Beastboy snickered, and Cyborg reflected the same look of horror, the bell rung.

"Time for lunch," Danny said and the three walked off, Tucker twitching anxiously. Walking into the cafeteria the Titans saw why, for the entire week the school wasn't going to serve any meat as the three friends took a seat. Danny and Tucker stared down at their lunch.

"Uh, Sam, what is this, grass on a bun?" Danny asked.

"What have you done!" Tucker screamed.

"Tucker, it's time for a change," she said as Danny picked up a forkful of the, well, he didn't really know what to call it.

"Don't you think this is a _little_ extreme Sam?" he asked, before she could reply, an elderly man in his late fifties: bald, overweight, and wearing gray pinned stripped pants, placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Ah, Ms. Manson, the school board wanted me to personally thank you for ushering in this welcome experiment to our cafeteria."

"Thank you, Mr. Lancer." Sam replied, but when Tucker sniffed the air and moved forward, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the teacher.

"Meat near…" Mr. Lancer shifted nervously.

"No, no, the rumors about the new, all steak buffet in the teacher's lounge are completely untrue. Thanks again, Sam." Mr. Lancer said before walking off. Tucker was glaring daggers at the Goth.

"Yeah, thanks again for making us eat garbage, _Sam_." The Goth girl glared back.

"It's not garbage it's recyclable organic matter," she said. This time Danny agreed with Tucker after having promptly taken a bite and spitting it back out.

"Its garbage," they both said in unison.

"Friend Tucker and friend Sam remind me a lot of Cyborg and Beastboy," Starfire said chuckling.

"Only Sam's much scarier." Raven stated watching as Sam and Tucker started bickering. None of the group noticed the missing lunch lady or the ghost who replaced her. Danny suddenly gasped, a blue mist escaping his mouth.

"Uh, guys, I've got a problem," he said, both friends instantly straightened.

Mud then slammed into the back of his head an angry voice yelling "Fenton!" Danny turned around, scared.

"Make that two problems," Danny stood staring up a jock with bleach blood hair and a body build that could rival the Terminator.

"Ugh, hey, Dash," the raven haired teen said. The Titans not believing that Danny could act so nervous. Especially since, well, he could probably have beaten the living daylights out of this 'Dash' person.

"I ordered three mud pies. Do you know what they gave me? Three, mud pies! With mud! From the ground! All because of your girlfriend." Dash yelled.

"She's not my girl friend!" Danny said in disbelief.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Sam shot back, but Dash wasn't listening. Instead he grabbed Danny by his shirt and pulled him off the ground.

"These are the best years of my life, after high school it's all downhill for me."

"Well, at least he's a realist," Cyborg said cutting in.

"How am I supposed to enjoy my glory days eating mud?" Dash yelled.

"Actually, it's topsoil," Sam corrected.

"Not helping, Sam," Danny hissed shooting her a look saying _'I-can't-believe-you-unintentionally-got-me-into-this.'_

"Whatever!" Dash snapped, throwing Danny back onto the table. He pushed the tray over to the halfa and glared.

"Eat it, all of it," Dash demanded, and scrunching up his nose, Danny raised the spoon to his mouth, when his ghost sense went off and scanning the room the Titans followed his gaze to a lunch lady with green skin moving behind the counter.

"Uh… garbage fight!" Danny screamed throwing the pile of mud in Dash's face.

"I can't believe he did that!" Beastboy howled in laugher, as the students quickly joined in while Danny and Tucker dropped to the floor and began to crawl away.

"It's not garbage, it's…" Sam yelled, but Danny yanked her down and together they moved to the lunch room door. The sigh reading 'no students allowed' they were almost there when Dash yelled.

"You're gonna pay for this, Fenton!"

"Oh great, I'm still his favorite," Danny groaned while Tucker snickered.

"So much for high school being a new start."

The three pushed open the door and looked at the ghost lady floating by the table holding the green salad.

"She doesn't look so bad, she looks a little like my grandmother," Tucker observed, and the three walked in. The Lunch Lady looked up at the teens standing close to the door, warily gazing at her.

"Shouldn't she be haunting a bingo hall?" Danny whispered. The Lunch Lady placed the salad on the counter and floated over to them.

"Hello children, can you help? Today's lunch is meatloaf, but I don't see the meatloaf. Did someone change the menu?" she asked sweetly, smiling at them from where she floated.

"Yeah, she did," Tucker said pointing to Sam.

"You changed the _menu?"_ The Lunch Lady screamed, eyes burning red,  her white hair turning to flames. Danny, Tucker, and Sam all gasped, and the Titans jumped as green fire erupted around her, casting the kitchen in hues of blue, as wind began to whip around them.

"The menu has been the same for _fifty years!"_ she screamed and green energy began swirling around the ceiling. The ghost started preparing to attack.

"Get behind me!" Danny ordered, eyes never looking away from the Lunch Lady as Sam and Tucker hid behind him.

"Wow, I feel safe," Sam said sarcastically, Danny ignored her.

"I'm goin' ghost!" he said throwing his arms up as pure white rings formed around him and traveled across his body. The Titans watched in awe, Robin in disbelief, Cyborg had said Danny's transformation was amazing, but this was unreal. Once finished, Danny knelt down and kicked off, flying high in the air stopping in front of the still fuming mad ghost.

"Uh, I command you to go away! Please?" Danny asked nervously.

"How can that be the Danny we know?" Beastboy said pointing up to the teen who looked determined, yet unsure of himself. For this definitely wasn't the Danny they knew, both sides of him. They watched as the Lunch Lady raised her hand and made the dishes rise, flinging themselves at Danny who gasped and turned intangible his outline only visible. The dishes flew through him and crashed into the wall, shattering. Visible once again Danny smiled, but hearing Sam scream he flew into action, legs morphing into pure a black tail, stopping in front of her as dishes soared. He caught them all, balancing them in his arms as the Lunch Lady sent a new wave at Tucker. Danny soared over and caught those and some cups too while his friend smiled. The halfa raced over to the counter top and placed the high stacked dishes back where they belonged. He looked at them for a second before shrugging.

"Well, if this superhero thing doesn't work out, I could have an exciting career as a bus boy," Danny said before jumping as the room began to shake. The three ovens bouncing up and down, the Lunch Lady flaming green.

"I control lunch. Lunch is sacred, lunch has rules!" she screamed. "Anybody want cake?" she suddenly asked, losing her demonic appearance, Sam and Tucker nodded. "To bad! Children who change _my_ menu do not get desert!" And with this the oven doors opened and shot green flames at them, charging forward preparing to crush the teens. Danny grabbed hold of Sam and Tucker, and concentrating, he spread his power out making all three of them intangible. They fell through the wall right as the ovens made contact. The three teens fell into a hallway and stood, the Titans joining them by walking through the same wall.

"Cool, laws of chemistry don't apply to us!" Beastboy said.

"It's physics, dude," Cy stated as Danny smiled broadly.

"Hey, it worked!" he exclaimed.

"This is the thanks I get for thinking like an individual?" Sam screamed. The lights began to flicker as the power cut off and the Lunch Lady appeared, glaring at them madly. Locker doors burst open as meat flew past the teens and stuck onto the ghost's body, covering her until it no longer looked like separate food items, but one entity.

"Where did all that meat come from?" Tucker asked before glaring "Lancer!" he said. The Lunch Lady moved forward, now standing eight feet tall, eyes glowing green and shining through the meat.

"Prepare to learn why meat is the most powerful of the five food groups!" She screamed pointing to Sam. "Cookie?" she asked sweetly, Sam refused. "Then Perish!" the ghost screamed. Danny jumped in front of Sam.

"Oh no, the only thing here that has an expiration date is you!" He yelled pointing to her. Two white rings surrounded his arm, then his body, changing him back to Danny Fenton in a flash. Danny looked to Sam who, stared back.

"Oops, I…uh, didn't mean to do that."

"Ya think?" She said upset as the Lunch Lade threw Danny and Tucker into the locker lined wall, covering them in papers. The ghost grabbed Sam and disappeared down the hallway. Tucker pulled Danny up off the floor.

"C'mon change back! We gotta go!" he screamed in panic. Mr. Lancer suddenly grabbed both boys by the collar.

"You two aren't going anywhere!" he said as Dash walked up behind them, covered in food or possibly mud.

"Told ya you'd pay, Fenton," Dash sneered. The Titans followed as Mr. Lancer led the three teens to one of the discipline offices and sat them down in two chairs. The football jock guarding the door. The overweight teacher went over to the filing cabinet and pulled their records.

"Mr. Foley, tardiness, talking in class, repeated loitering by the girls' locker room." Tucker smirked at that one.

"Danny Fenton, thirty-four dropped beakers in the last month," three guesses why, the Titans thought, "banned for life from handling all fragile school property, but no severe mischief until today. So gentlemen tell me _, why did the two of you conspire to destroy the school cafeteria?"_ Mr. Lancer yelled causing Danny and Tucker to flinch.

"Dash started it, he threw…" Danny tried.

"Four touchdown passes the last game and is thereby exempt from scorn," Mr. Lancer said. "You two, however, are not. I'll map out your punishment when I return. Mr. Baxter, watch the door," the teacher said before leaving. Danny and Tucker stood.

"We gotta find Sam, for some reason I feel like I got her kidnapped," Tucker said. Danny glared at him.

"Maybe because you told the ghost she changed the menu, how 'bout that?" he replied as his techno geek friend began to sniff the air.

"That steak is still in the building, two hundred yards tops," Tuck said watching as Danny walked up to the six different TV's displaying the school grounds.

"Check it out, meat trail in the basement…we have a basement?" Danny asked transforming as Tucker walked up and rolled his eyes.

"Dude, sometimes you're so clueless," he said while Danny grabbed his wrist and phased both of them through the floor, the Titans falling through as well.

"I don't think I'm gonna get used to that," BB said as all of the teens landed in the basement. Tucker and Cy gasped at the box's of frozen meat lining the walls.

"Sweet mother of mutton! I dreamed of it, but I never thought I'd live to see it!" Tucker exclaimed hugging one of the boxes in worship. Danny gave him a funny look.

"How is it I have the ghost powers and you're the weird kid?" he asked when they heard the Lunch Lady laugh. Poking their heads around the corner, they saw Sam trapped in a pile of meat, the ghost holding a chicken leg.

"My dear child, meat is good for kids, it helps them grow, it makes them smile. Why won't you eat it?" She asked the Goth girl who was struggling to get free.

"We don't need meat, that's fat," Sam stated.

"Silence! You need discipline, manners, _respect_. You know where that comes from: meat!" The Lunch Lady screamed before her demeanor changed once more, and she smiled kindly.

"Now chicken, or fish?"

"I'll take care of the ghost. You just find a way to get Sam out of that pile of meat!"

"Dude, I'm way ahead of you," Tucker replied holding up a knife and fork. Danny looked at him.

"I'm not even gonna ask," he whispered to himself, and with this the teen took off after the Lunch Lady, slamming her into the far brick wall as Tucker worked to free Sam.

"I don't get it, why didn't he just blast her?" Beastboy asked watching as the ghost threw him into the wall as he dodged shish kebobs.

"He's not much a fighter," Robin observed as the Lunch Lady roared and all of the meat in the basement flew up towards her, freeing Sam, while creating a ten foot, half ton monster. The ghost grabbed Danny.

"Helps on the way, buddy!" Tucker screamed brandishing his silverware like weapons. The ghost threw the teen through the building leaving the Titans alone with Sam and Tucker who gazed up at the Lady in fear.

"Run?" Tucker asked.

"Run," Sam agreed and both took off screaming. The Titans racing behind them, they headed for the exit, the ghost blocking it with a fist of meat. The teens turned around, sprinting through the labyrinth of boxes, while Danny phased through the wall dazed and confused, holding his head when he heard his friends scream, the monster about to crush them. He shot forward and grabbed both by their waists turning them intangible. They flew through the wall and out of the school. The Teen Titans only had to jog to keep up with Danny flying a few feet off the ground still carrying both his friends.

"Gee Danny, fighting meat monsters, flying through walls, you must be exhausted," She said.

"What? Of course not, what would give you that idea?" Danny said, tail disappearing the three of them hit the ground. Two white rings beginning to emerge, while the memory began to fade into blackness.

"He must have passed out," Cyborg explained as the images began to shift, and suddenly they were in a room painted soft blue, looking around, it was covered in posters of space and NASA. The star charts all mapped out, a rocket sitting on a dresser, drawers pulled open, clothes hanging out of them from not being folded properly, and pictures, one of his family and the other of his friends. Looking out the window, they saw the afternoon light flittering in, clouds making the sun look blue and black instead of fiery orange.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding about wanting to go into space," Beastboy said when Danny appeared on the bed sleeping. Sam and Tucker standing over him. Groaning, the teen jolted awake.

"Where am I? What's going on?"

"You passed out, we took you home. You've been asleep for four days!" Tucker said. Danny shot up from his bed.

"Four days!" he screamed as his friend laughed.

"Naw, it's only been a couple of hours," Tucker answered. Sam glared at him as Danny shrunk back on his pillow, afraid of her wrath.

"Knock it off Tucker, this is the second time today your carelessness almost him killed," she said. Tucker snapped.

"Me? I almost got him killed, the only reason this happened is because _you_ had to be unique, you took the meat away. And I'm gonna get it back," he said walking out of Danny's room, both friends no longer paying any attention to the halfa sitting frozen on his bed.

"You want to change that menu back? You're going to have to go through _me_ to do it!" She screamed, slamming Danny's door closed, storming out of his house. After an awkward moment of silence, Danny sighed and pressed his hands against his eyes.

"I'm sure everything will be back to normal tomorrow," he said and turning over on his side, Danny buried his face in the bed and fell asleep. Robin's eye twitched.

"I don't get it. We've gone from seventh grade to ninth grade. Obviously, Sam and Tucker are his closest friends, he's only had his powers for a month, but why won't Danny show us how he got them? Or why his parents don't know?" he asked.

"Maybe friend Danny wishes to show us this first?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, I mean we've watched him destroy buildings with only a flick of his wrist. Perhaps he wants to tell us that it wasn't always like that," Cyborg suggested as the image began to blur, Raven shook her head.

"I think it might be something more than that," she said, but didn't elaborate when Danny walked past them to school where two protests were going on. One was a cook out, dancers on stage dressed as meat, while the other was a grass roots moment, people sitting on blankets playing music, a van that read 'vegetation' painted in green on it. But when Sam and Tucker emerged on their sides and screamed into their mikes, both groups sparked to life to support their different causes.

"Or not, maybe it'll be worse," Danny deadpanned.

"Dude, talk about passionate!" Beastboy said as Sam and Tucker approached their friend. Danny looked at them in disbelief.

"You guys put together two protests in one night?" he said more shocked than confused.

"Meat eaters, Danny, always ready to fight and our high protein diets gives us the energy to do it quickly," Tucker stated matter of factly. Sam countered, glaring at the techno geek and the Titans now knowing where Danny learned to glare so fiercely.

"Ultra- recyclable vegetarians are always ready to protest, and because we don't have to waste time cooking our food, we can move even faster."

Danny looked like a mouse cowering between two angry cats, "Don't you guys think this is a _little_ extreme?"

"No choice buddy, you're either with me…" Tucker said.

"Or you're against him," Sam finished both friends glaring Danny down.

_"So whose side are you on?!"_ They yelled. The teen shrinking back, and in that instant the wind turned violent whipping around the school and protestors as dark black clouds shimmering in green filled the sky and a roar resounded. The meat from the cook off, and who knows where, was gathering until a twenty foot Lunch Lady dressed in meat stood, her acidic green eyes the only visible part of her true form.

"It's Lunch Time!" She yelled, people screamed and tried to escape, and through the chaos Tucker cried, "Meat, why have you betrayed me?" Danny ignored him, his shoulders seeming to square his eyes intensifying.

"Guys, time to make up _now!"_ he hissed, Sam and Tucker came together in a hug, hiding Danny's transformation. The only clue that something was different was the temporary flash in between the two friends, and when they moved away, Danny Phantom stood in Fenton's place.

The Titans watched as Danny dodged the meat monsters attacks, flying around her arm he aimed a kick at the base of what looked like the things neck, and sent it to the ground.

"That's more like it," Cy cheered, smiling as Tucker looked to Sam a grin on his face.

"You know, he really is getting better," he said. Danny, who had been smiling down to them, looked up and frowned when he saw the fist heading towards him. There was loud slap and the teen was flying higher in the sky, disappearing into the clouds Sam ran forward in panic.

"I sure hope he can take a punch!" she said. The group waited, the seconds ticking by and right when the meat monster turned its gaze on the school Danny emerged, barreling towards her fast as a bullet. He slammed into the creature's stomach and the monster exploded, leaving behind a smoking crater.

"Holy!" Beastboy said, unnecessarily dodging the flying meat. Starfire's eyes widened.

"I understand! Friend Danny wishes to show us how his powers came to be!" she realized as they watched the teen drag himself out of the crater.

"How? All Danny's showing us is how his powers are uncontrollable. We don't even know how he got them?" Robin asked scowling.

His arms shaking, the Lunch Lady floated up to Danny, her meat suit destroyed.

"Oh dear, what a mess, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Danny said, rotating his shoulder, winching from the strain of the muscles pulling against bone, "I think so." The Lunch Lady's aura flared.

"Tough! Because you being o.k. is not a part of my balanced diet of doom!" Four miniature meat monsters came together. Snapping Danny back to reality as he sliced them a part with the heel of his shoe in a round house kick. The Titans watched as the monsters reformed, Robin's mind spinning.

"Star, you said we're watching how Danny's powers came to be, but so far all I've seen is the fact that he can turn intangible, fly and has a super strength," he stated, but Star wasn't listening. Instead, she and the others were focused entirely on the battle as the monsters raised their claws.

"Wasn't expecting that," Danny said as two white rings separated his body turning him back to Danny Fenton. "Or that," he added. The monsters grabbed him, and shot high into the air. Danny struggled in their grasp.

"Let me go!" The teen screamed, they continued to climb.

"Danny!" Starfire screamed, the Titans raced after him, rounding the corner of the meat covered school, watching as the meat monsters turned Danny upside down, his blue eyes shining in fear, the ground forty feet below.

"What'll happen if they drop him?" Beastboy asked his voice high, cold sweat running down his temple. The teens stopped running, when up ahead they spotted Danny's parents and a girl with long flaming red hair. They watched in horror as Jack threw the thermos into the air, oblivious to it hitting his son. Then Danny fell. Beastboy panicked, he didn't want to see this.

"What'll happen if Danny falls?"

A small chuckle made the entire team jump, and time seemed to slow down until it froze and turning around, sitting on a picnic table, was five year old Danny. His face filled with innocence.

"What kind of question is that?" Danny asked his baby cheeks turning red from holding back his laughter. At the Titans looks of horror, the little boy clarified.

"I'd die silly, like everyone else," he answered, swinging his tiny legs back and forth. Robin wondered if he too once looked that small, that fragile. Raven calmed her racing heart first and stepped forward, nothing stirred.

"Danny, I will ask you a question. The crow, was that real?" The blue eyes darkened.

"Everything is true."

Robin shook off his fear. "Then are you showing us how your powers came to be?" he asked. The little boy stared at him in confusion before he burst out laughing. Robin couldn't keep the scowl off his face, even though it only seemed to encourage Danny.

"Hahaha, I'm-sorry, haha! It's just, I'm from the wrong time," he finally managed to choke out.

"But you're here man?" Cy said in bewilderment, his heart beating frantically.

"Well…" Danny said his blue eyes holding a spark of sad mischievousness. Moving off of the table, past the Titans, looking straight at his older self still frozen mid air, falling to his doom. The little boy looked back to the five Titans who weren't sure who to look at, him, or the older Danny.

"Danny thought you'd need a little help," he said and in a flash, the little kid disappeared in a gust of wind, and everything came rushing back, the fear tangible as the fourteen year old boy clenched his eyes closed. Desperately holding onto the Fenton thermos.

"Change back, change _back!"_ His eyes began to glow green, and Danny changed. As he phased through the ground, he hastily thanked his father. The Titans felt the ground shift underneath their feet and they were pulled back to the other side of the school where the Lunch Lady floated, Danny glared at her.

"No! Soups not on today's menu!" she screamed, he unscrewed the cap.

"I'm changing the menu, permanently!" Danny yelled before looking at the inoperative device. "Please work," he whispered, before pointing it at the ghost. "I hope I'm right!" And with a burst of white power, Danny engulfed the containment device and pressed the 'on' switch. It hummed to life, before absorbing his energy and firing. The Titans watched as the Lunch Lady screamed, being forcibly dragged into the thermos, and Danny capped the lid smiling, two white rings travelling up and down his body.

"There, it only needed to be charged," he said when Sam and Tucker ran up to him.

"What happened, where's the ghost?" she asked, Danny sighed fondly.

"My parents have their moments," Danny said when a female robotic voice sounded in the distance.

"Ghost, directly ahead, you'd half to be some kind of moron, to not notice the ghost directly ahead," she said, out of the tracking device pointed directly at Danny. His parents looked at him, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, sorry Dad, you just missed him."

"We got a runner!" Jack screamed and both parents took off still covered in meat, leaving behind a very disgruntled Jazz.

"Great, back to square one," she said storming off. Tucker looked back to his friend as Danny let out a sigh.

"So, you're not going to tell them?"

"Nah, I think I might have finally figured out what these powers are for, they make me…"

"…In a world of trouble," Mr. Lancer cut in from behind the teens, he motioned for them to follow. Sighing, the three trailed behind him, leaving the Titans standing in the meat filled grass. Finally, Robin couldn't take it anymore.

"Starfire, what did you mean when you said he's showing us how he developed his powers?" he asked, a twitch in his left eye.

"When you, Cyborg, and Beastboy were taken by the Puppet King and friend Danny lost all of his powers, he explained to us how unlike us, his powers developed out of necessity."

"And that his powers were tied directly to his soul," Raven finished. Robin let out a sigh, and Cy scratched his head.

"So, when he needed to move through the walls and his super strength, everything develops as he grows and fights."

"And why Danny didn't use his glowing green blasting rays," Beastboy chimed, while his friends glared at him.

"But it has to be more than that," Robin said his face scrunching up in contemplation, "even if his powers surface through necessity, it doesn't mean they just randomly appeared. His powers were probably lying dormant. It would explain why each ghost is different."

"Whoa, you guys are smart," Little Danny said cutting in, and the Titans whirled around to see him staring at them with admiration.

"I thought you said you didn't know anything?" Cyborg said annoyed. Danny smiled.

"I don't. I'm from the wrong time, but you guys sure sound smart. And I'll give you a hint, you're on the right track," Danny whispered smiling, eyes alight like an imp.

"So this is all some kind of game, dude? ‘Cause it's not fun," Beastboy snapped his hand brushing against the game inside his pocket, the blue eyes flashed in anger.

"There's more going on here than just memories. You need to find me and…" The little boy froze his eyes panicked.

"And what? Danny, what's wrong?" Robin asked bending down, resting his palm on the side of Danny's face. The little child resurfaced and pulled away like the Titan had burned him.

"I have to go," he said quickly and in a flash, he was gone leaving behind five stunned teens.

"What… just happened?" BB asked.

The world began to violently spin and Tucker's voice boomed around them. "Dude, is that a new power?" Colors were bleeding together, and it started making everyone sick.

"What's going on?" Beastboy said his forest green skin turning ashen grey.

"Man, I'm gonna puke!" Cy said before he gagged and forced the bile back down. When from the smoke Danny emerged, his form shimmering until he came into focus, blue eyes warily studying a large glowing green dream catcher, everyone jumped when Danny placed his arm through it, splitting it in two.

"Whoa, this one works, a little too well. I'm filing this under must avoid," Danny said, his parents voices boomed around them as the fourteen year old teen went up in smoke.

"It expunges negative ghost energy."

"Yeah, it's like an Indian dream catcher, only it expunges ghosts instead of dreams you see," Jack explained before he sneezed and the Titans feet hit solid ground. Everyone took a moment to breathe.

"O.k., that invention works, so I'm assuming Danny was telling us that all of his parent's devices work," Cyborg stated, Robin was about to reply when Starfire cut him off.

"Robin, do houses usually have the large signs of neon green?"

* * *

 

**Part Three:**

The teams' mouths dropped when they looked to the two story brick red house: three levels, if you counted the giant op center bolted to the roof, four and a half, if you counted the basement and the weapons vault. The washed out blue door opened and Danny sprinted down the stairs, his backpack carelessly thrown over one shoulder, a CD in his hand.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad!" Danny yelled running down the street, not even stopping to wait for a reply.

"Wait till Sam gets a look at this!" The Titans chased after him. Down four streets, two fences, which he jumped with relative ease. All the way to a giant three story mansion.

"Holy!" BB said, but Danny didn't even give pause. Instead he simply opened the backdoor and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Sam, I got you those anti- youth CD's you wanted!" Danny said excitedly. It was then he noticed her pristine parents and one tripped out Grandma. There was an awkward silence as Sam winced, and her parents glared.

"What? Have you heard My Parents Reek? That cut rocks!" If it were possible, her parents' scowls darkened. As Sam argued with them, Danny wandered over to Grandma Ida who was watching TV. It was a commercial for Circus Gothica, and suddenly everyone's voices began to grow distant as the ringmaster spoke.

"Is this like before?" Beastboy asked, but just like that everything snapped into focus and Danny and Sam were outside her house.

"Will you stop messing with my parents, that's my job," Sam glared, her voice hard edged.

"What? Sorry Sam, must have gotten a little spacey. I was up pretty late last night," Danny replied running a hand threw his raven hair. The Titans all sucked in their breath. Sam looked at him with understanding.

"Just watch what you say around them, they already think I'm on the road to troubled teen hood," she said walking down the street.

"Where are you going? School's this way," Danny said pointing in the opposite direction, and Cy had to jump out of the way in order to avoid a hand passing through his chest, everyone chuckled.

"The Circus Gothica train pulled in last night. I'm cutting first period to watch the opening ceremonies."

"Sam."

"Take it easy," she said breezily, "Tucker's got first period free, he's covering for me."

"How…never mind. Don't blame me if you get caught!" Danny yelled affectionately, he waved goodbye as Sam dashed down the street, and Danny turned the other direction. Presumably the one to school. A blue mist escaped his mouth, right before a ghost ran down the street, zooming past them holding a large bag of cash.

"Speaking of getting caught," Danny said and the teen transformed. Instantly taking to the sky along with the dwarf ghost, the sounds of police sirens erupted in the background. And when Danny shot the gold out of the ghosts hand and onto the cop car causing it to crash, the team tried very hard not to laugh at the name Inviso-bill.

"Dude, that's a horrible name!" BB said clutching his stomach out of pain from laughing.

"Obviously, Danny's alter ego's not very popular," Robin stated as Danny mumbled something about needing to get a Publicist .

"He is also beginning to experience the control of minds," Starfire stated.

"And he's shown us his ability to sense ghosts," Cyborg added.

"His powers have progressed as well," Raven finished as they soared through a billboard with Danny.

"He's giving us the information, but without the proper context, there's no way we can understand what it is he's trying to show us," Robin said sighing as they gazed down at the giant black tent, and teens of all ages with the same pallet of clothes and colors were walking about.

"Terrific, the crooks got away, I'm late for school, and…I've never seen so many Goths out in broad daylight," Danny stated. BB snorted, and Raven punched him in the arm as a whole bunch of umbrellas opened.

"Well, look who decided to slum it with the troubled teens," Sam called, Danny joining her on the ground.

"What? I'm not in trouble," Danny replied defensively, the sirens were heard and the halfa promptly turned invisible.

"Oh, yeah, you're an upstanding citizen. Need to hide from the law?"

"No," Danny embarrassingly said as he jumped behind the barrels and transformed back, him and Sam whistling as the cops ran by. None even caring that two teens were apparently skipping class.

"Thanks, Sam."

She smiled at Danny, and the doors to the train opened and Freakshow emerged.

"Greetings, fellow outcasts!"

The opening ceremony went by in a flurry of amazing displays, until Sam's parents decided to boycott it as an, ' _offense to the morals of our children.'_ And the last thing the Titans heard was Freakshow's voice, "Show them your true colors, and when I say colors, I mean all black! Make them see you for who you are." And the only thing Danny and the Teen Titans could see was the glowing red orb balanced on the bat.

"Danny's been sucked in to Freakshow's commands!" BB said, his voice sounding small and timid.

"Is this what it was like? To be controlled?" Robin asked looking over to his green friend and he watched as the changeling shuddered.

"But, Beastboy only turned into a drooling mess. So why is this important?" Starfire asked.

"Maybe Danny's just tellin' us that he can relate," Cy answered, but the blackness around them shuddered and a sense of foreboding overcame all of them, and the next words they heard were from Sam.

"I'm looking for my friend."

There was a muffled reply and a half crazed laugh.

"What are you doing, you dolt? Get out there and do your encore!"

"Sam?" Danny asked and everything snapped into focus, and the team gasped at their friends' appearance.

"Whoa, and I thought you looked scary Rae." Beastboy said. And for once the girl could agree. For Danny was dressed in a long pitch black robe, the giant scythe resting ominously, his glowing aura surrounding him like the god of Death.

"Danny?" Sam breathed in relief, it was short lived.

"What is that? Is that free will? Obey me, minion!" Freakshow commanded and as the world began to blur, they watched as Danny's eyes turned blood red. The hood coming around his face, letting only his eyes show.

"What, you're controlling him?"

"Get her." Through the haze they watched as Danny raised his scythe, Sam screamed.

"This is horrible! That monster can command friend Danny!" Starfire exclaimed, everything beginning to spin.

"Danny, don't do this!" Sam pleaded.

"I want you to rob this bank for me, my pets," Freakshow yelled laughing.

"Oh and Danny, bring me something flashy," the clown added as an afterthought. Cyborg closed his eyes and turned his head away from the image of that monster's face. The world stopped spinning and everyone was on the roof of a train. Tucker pinned, Freakshow growling, and Sam, standing on the edge of the train as Danny gazed at her while he held the staff in one gloved white hand.

"Bring me my staff, come on. Che, che," Freakshow cooed, calling Danny like a dog. Sam cut him off.

"I saw you on that high wire. You were fighting him the whole time. Fight him now, Danny. You're not just a ghost, fight him!" she pleaded. Phantom clutched his head painfully, red eyes burning.

"Quiet, all of you! I need to think!"

"Stop her! Now!" Freakshow commanded and Danny's form trembled at the order. The train was crossing a canyon, the river far below.

"Well, it's the crystal ball, or your friend, Danny. Your choice," Sam said as two of the ghosts approached her, Sam's foot slipped off the edge.

"I didn't mean that to be so literal! _Ahhh!"_

"Sam! No, Sam!" Tucker screamed as she fell.

"Sam… _Sam!"_ Danny cried, and he flew after her letting go of the staff to catch his friend, and when the crystal smashed at the bottom, the Titans watched as red eyes, turned glowing green.

"Danny, are you okay?" Sam asked clinging to him desperately, but her relief was clear.

"I think so, it's all a blur. I did some bad stuff, didn't I?"

"Nothing you can't fix."

The image shifted and Sam, Tucker and Danny were all sitting in his room around the computer screen watching the news stream live. The reporter's voice filtering through.

"…And in other news, all the valuables stolen from two museums and three banks by Inviso-bill are finally being returned." Danny shut off the monitor and slammed his head on the desk.

"Dude, you really need a publicist."

"That's not the point Tuck. Thanks to Walker, I was framed and made Public Ghost Enemy No.1, and now thanks to Freakshow, I just proved all of them right!" Danny said growling in frustration. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll make it right, and you heard Tiffany, everything stolen is being returned."

"Yeah, you'll be fine, plus if you're ever short on cash…" Tucker wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sam hit Tucker in the back of his head, Danny smiled lightly.

"Thanks guys, it's getting pretty late."

With a silent nod he bid his friends good night and closed the bed room door with a soft click. The team surrounded him, as Danny just stood there, letting his head rest on the wood, a hand still on the brass doorknob.

" _Slave!_ Center ring."

"I'm so glad you could join us, not that you had much of a choice! Haha!"

Danny shuddered his blue eyes piercing. He turned away and disappeared into smoke, the metal door knob dented. The team was silent, standing in the room until finally a thought occurred to Robin.

"Sam said Danny was different, she must have meant that he is half ghost. But how is that possible?"

"We need to list what we know," Raven said taking a seat on the desk. Cyborg began.

"One, Danny's only half ghost. Two, his powers are tied directly from his soul, and so far he's shown us his first fight with the Lunch Lady and now Freakshow."

"But friend Danny has changed. He was much more in control of his powers," Starfire said. Robin walked forward and picked up the calendar.

"That's because he was, this happened months after the battle with the meat monster." Robin said.

"But how does this help us?" Beastboy asked. Robin let out a sigh.

"It doesn't, like I said earlier, Danny is giving us all the facts, but without some sort of structure we have no way of understanding and interpreting what he's trying to tell us."

The group slumped in defeat. Beastboy's ears drooping, shoving his hands into his pockets, he felt his hand brush against the game. Quietly, he pulled out the little chip labeled Doom, the changeling's eyes widened.

"We do have an outline!" he screamed waving the game back and forth.

"Here, move over Rae!" Beastboy said, shoving her off the desk to look for a plug in place on the computer.

"Beastboy, I don't think…" Robin started, but right then the chip found a port, and the computer screen hummed to life. BB grinning like a maniac. The content screen popped up.

"Okay, it says here were on level twenty," BB said scanning through the levels.

"Geez, a lot of them are labeled fruitloop," Cy said, looking over B's shoulder.

"We'll figure that out later. Right now, take us to level one," Robin said. Beastboy scrolled up and clicked. The screen flashed and the Titans found themselves sitting at the computer screen down in the lab.

"What?" Cy said, "we're practically back where we started!" he screamed.

"Guys!" Raven cut them off, before the yelling started. Everyone looked at Sam taking a picture of Danny standing by the portal holding a white and black hazmat suit.

"Okay, I showed you the portal. Can we get out of here now? My parents could be back here any minute," Danny worriedly said as Tucker and Sam walked up to him.

"Besides, they say it doesn't work anyways," he offhandedly added. Sam moved to stand in front of it. The steel mouth looked like it was trying to swallow her whole.

"Come on, Danny, a Ghost Zone, aren't you curious? You gotta check it out," she said, Danny looked up to the portal as well, a smile crossing his face.

"You know what, you’re right. Who knows what kind of awesome, super cool things exist on the other side of that portal," Danny put on the white and black suit, zipping it up. Jack Fenton's face blazing across his chest.

"Hang on a second," Sam said walking forward and tearing off Jack's face. "There…well… wait, I got it!" And both boys watched as Sam ran off and grabbed one of Jack's suits cutting off the black sleeve and styling it into a letter D a smaller P on the inside.

"Here, trust me. It looks better than having that on your chest," she said slapping the symbol onto Danny's chest and throwing Jack's face in the trash. The Titans watched as Danny headed into the portal, it was then the realization hit them.

"No," Beastboy whispered. Everyone heard a click. Green ectoplasm and electricity blasted free, and Danny screamed, covering the up the voices of his panicking friends. The memory of the theater when Phantom got his powers back, it was the same blood curtailing sound. And horrified, the Titans watched as Danny stumbled out of the portal cradling his left hand: black hair turned white, crystalline blue eyes now glowing green, and the white and black jump suit now black and white.

"Danny, you're a ghost." Sam breathed.

"What? But that means I'm dead!" Danny screeched his eyes bright with panic, but when he threw up his arms, two white rings formed and before they knew it, Danny was human once more.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Tucker screamed in excitement getting over the shock. But also checking to make sure his friend did indeed, have a pulse. It was as the two boys were talking about what had just happened that Sam ran over to the screen and looked directly to the Titans.

"You need to hurry. Danny can't maintain this place for much longer," she informed them, her form beginning to flicker.

"What do you mean?" Robin demanded the team running up to her.

"You said you needed to know what Danny is, in order to understand everything he's showing you, well cognates, you figured out how he got his powers. But Danny can't maintain this all access pass to his memories forever. And there's still so much you don't know," Sam said, hurriedly scrolling through the levels typing in cheat codes.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked. Sam turned her glare at them, amethyst eyes burning.

"Look, all you need to know right now is that Danny is what's called a halfa. He's half human, half ghost. And he's unheard of in the Ghost Zone and unimaginable in the Human Zone. What he is, is impossible."

"Yet he exists," Raven said, to this Sam nodded.

"Yes, but it's more than that. And there's more going on here. Please save him, time isn't on your side," she finished and with this she pressed the enter key, and the screen flashed the second she disappeared into smoke.

* * *

 

**Part Four:**

"Danny, this is becoming a problem," Mrs. Fenton suddenly said, as Danny looked at his feet trying not to disappear into the couch. The same red head girl from earlier sitting in the chair next to him reading a giant text book.

"You're shirking all your chores," Jack added leaning over a giant green, half completed machine.

"Your grades are slipping," Mrs. Fenton stated.

"You're shirking from your chores," Jack chimed.

"You already said chores," Danny cut in.

"I know, but when you don't do them, I get stuck with them," Jack deadpanned.

"Look, I'm under a lot of pressure. You two have no idea what it's like to be a kid these days." All of the Titans silently agreeing.

"Come on Danny, that's the oldest excuse in the book. There's nothing you’re going through that your father and I didn't go through when we were your age," Mrs. Fenton said not noticing as her sons arm turned intangible and fell through the couch before he managed to get control of his powers.

"Yeah, well I beg to differ," Danny muttered in defeat. It was then the red head snapped her book shut.

"The reason Danny doesn't think you can relate to him is that you never take the time to tell him about your childhood."

Danny flinched at the very psychiatric approach.

"Jazz," Danny growled out.

"Have you ever told them how you two met, or your first date, where you went to college?"

"Jazz!" Danny nearly yelled his eyes temporarily flashing green while their parents pondered over their daughter's words.

"You know Jasmine that's a great idea!" Jack exclaimed.

"It is?"

"What is?" Maddie asked.

"This is!" Jack yelled holding up a piece of paper that read 'twenty year college reunion' in Madison, Wisconsin. Danny face palmed, while Jazz looked horror stricken.

"You can come with your mother and me to our college reunion. Our old pale Vlad is throwing a huge shin dig there. We'll take the RV so the whole family can go together. You can learn more about your mother and my college days and while we drive, I can blabber on about ghosts!"

"Ugh," Danny shuttered and trudged up to his room, whipping out his cell phone to dial Sam and Tucker.

"Hey, Danny."

"What's up, dude?"

Danny closed his door and flipped on the lights.

"Hey guys, we have a small problem. My Dad's dragging the whole family to his and Mom's college reunion, and I can't get out of it."

"So you need us to cover you on the ghost patrols this weekend," Sam stated.

"Yeah, do you still have that extra Fenton Thermos and small ecto wrist rays?"

"Yeah, we're cool, so why are you even going? Were you late getting home again?" Tucker asked. Danny groaned, flopping down on his bed.

"Yeah, to make a long story short, these three vulture ghosts were messing around, apparently lost, they asked me for directions to find and 'peck to death,' get this,  my Dad."

" _What!"_ Both teens exclaimed on the other lines.

"Yeah," Danny said pulling out a torn picture of his father from his younger days.

"They didn't say why, but it doesn't matter. I kicked them out of town. Oh, and there Transylvanian accent really stunk," he added before a blue mist escaped his mouth.

"Hey, I gotta go," he said, and with goodbyes, he hung up and grabbed a Thermos from underneath the bed. Everything shuddered as Jack's voice echoed around them.

"Get some rest everybody! I want the entire Fenton clan bright eyed and bushy tailed when we meet Masters tomorrow."

"Wait, Masters? As in Vlad Masters, who was named Affluent Magazines second billionaire of the year next to Bruce Wayne?" Jazz said in disbelief as the Titans landed in the Fenton RV where Danny and his family were trying to sleep.

"That's the guy, in college Vlad was my best friend. We were very popular guys, roommates, lab partners, we did everything together. Until, the thick fingers of fate stuck them right in Vlad's eyes. We were working on a proto portal, and when I turned it on, the thing over loaded and Vlad got blasted right in the face. He was hospitalized with a horrible case of ecto-acne. It devastated him, and killed his social life. We haven't spoken since that day. But the good news is after all these years, I think he's finally forgiven me," Jack said before he turned over to sleep.

The image shifted and suddenly Danny was standing right next to the Titans as Vlad Masters opened the door to his gold and green castle. Every one of the Titans cringed, all of them remembering the pure look of hatred in Danny's eyes. Only now, none of that was present.

"What did Vlad do to make Danny hate him?" Cyborg asked.

"We're about to find out," Robin stated as the silver haired billionaire opened his arms and smiled.

"Jack, and Maddie, you've never looked lovelier my dear. Please, please come in." The Titans, Maddie, Jazz and Danny all walked in, and the door slammed shut in Jack's face.

"O.k. harsh," BB said and Danny looked questioningly to Vlad.

"What's with the green and gold, you're a billionaire. Surely you could afford an interior designer," Jazz remarked all the guys in the room sighed.

"Jazz, hello? Football helmets, jerseys, cheese heads, this guys a Packer's fanatic," Danny said. Vlad placed a hand on the teen's shoulder, and the group waited for him to tense. Nothing happened.

"Hello?" Jack called from outside, the family suddenly remembering he was not in the room.

"Oh fanatic is such a negative word but yes, I am," Vlad said walking further into the house.

"But I don't understand, you have _billions_ of dollars. Instead of buying this stuff, why don't you just buy the team?" Jazz asked.

"Because the Packers are owned by the city of Green Bay, and they won't sell them to me!" Vlad snapped before his calming demeanor returned once more, and he looked longingly at Maddie.

"One, of two things my wealth has of yet, been able to acquire."

Maddie smiled and mumbled something about letting Jack in. Jazz looked disinterested, and Danny and the Titans looked a little grossed out.

"Is he hitting on Mom?" Danny asked to his sister.

"As long as he's got working toilets, and Mom says no, who cares," Jazz said walking away.

"Oh, that's just wrong!" Cyborg yelled forgetting they couldn't hear him.

Danny was about to head upstairs when a signed football caught his eyes.

"Whoa, cool!"

"Indeed," Vlad said joining him, picking up the football, "this ball was autographed by the legendary Ray Nitchky himself. It's my prized possession."

"Heads up, V-man!" Jack screamed before barreling into the gentleman and knocking him to the ground.

"Ha, I see you still got the old moves!" Jack said standing up with the ball. Vlad glared before he snatched it away.

"Give me that! I never had any old moves. All those years in the hospital robbed me of that!"

Dead silence. Vlad sighed.

"Yes, well it gave the time to chart out a course for my life. Make some decisions that helped to make me very wealthy, very quickly, and it never would have happened without you, Jack."

"Uh, yeah maybe we should go," Maddie said picking up on the strange atmosphere, but soon Vlad put her and Jack at ease. He showed them to their rooms. The images began to blur and soon the team landed in Danny's room as he woke up to blue mist pouring from his mouth.

"Ah, just what I need, a working vacation," he said transforming and flying through the hallways. Soon he saw the three vultures, and his Dad sleep walking. Danny pulled his father through the floor before rejoining the birds, who were staring at the carpet in confusion.

"Hi guys, remember me?" Danny said, his voice echoing. The birds took one look at him, screamed, and flew away.

"Okay, that was almost too easy."

"Ah, bright boy," A ghost sneered, the team gasped when Plasmius appeared, and they got there first true look at the evil ghost. His skin was ice blue, his eyes blood red and his hair black and spiked, just like his tongue. The man's white cape floated around him. Broadening his shoulders and making him look like a dark, white king. And he easily swatted Danny away like a fly.

"My vultures were supposed to bring the big idiot to me, but you'll do. Danny Phantom, right?"

Danny stood and gazed up at the still floating ghost who hadn't moved a muscle.

"You, you know me?"

"Of course I know you!" he said disappearing into the wall. Danny followed him into the musty library.

"You're the ghost boy who uses his powers for _good_. Oh, quaint. Aren't you going to try and shove me into your ridiculous thermos?" Plasmius sneered, and the Titans shuddered as Danny realized what he truly was up against.

"I-I don't want to fight you."

"No, no you don't," he smirked and the ghost attacked, throwing a plasma ray right in the center of the teen's chest.

"Get away!" Danny screamed throwing a green ecto-blast. A simple shield absorbed the attack, and the ghost smirked.

"So, year one. Tell me child, can you do this yet?" he said multiplying into four.

"No. I can't. How are you doing all this?" Danny asked backing away as the four ghosts loomed over him.

" _Years of practice, which you unfortunately have no time for,"_ they said and fired. Danny fell through the doors and transformed back, the world turning black.

"He must have passed out," Robin said.

"No, get away!" Danny screamed jolting awake in bed the bruises and scrapes having already healed. The teen looked around in confusion.

"Where am I, what happened?" Danny asked as the door to his room opened.

"I was going to ask you the same question, dear boy," Vlad said walking in with concern on his face. A slight tilting of his mouth showed otherwise. Danny didn't notice.

"I must have been worn out from the long car trip. I'll be fine in the morning. Sorry for the scare."

"Oh, what's a little scare between friends? Sleep tight, little badger," Vlad said leaving the room. Danny smiled before going back to sleep.

It was the night of the reunion and guests were pouring in while Danny sulked at a table watching old people do the pogo. Vlad joined him.

"Well, son, you're looking much better. I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?"

"Oh, sure Mr. Masters. But call me Danny, son is what my Dad calls me."

"Oh, yes, yes of course. Now could you go to my lab, second door on the right upstairs. There's a present in there for your father that I'd like you to bring down."

"Okay," he said happily and with this Danny left. The Titans following him silently, the metal door sliding open.

"Present, I don't see a present." Danny mumbled, glancing at a picture on the desk. Dread swept through all of them as he lifted it up. It was one of Vlad, Maddie and Jack, only completed when Danny added the missing piece the vultures had forgotten.

"No way," Danny denied until a blue mist escaped. Transforming, the teen fought off two ecto- pusses.

"Those ghosts were some of the very first ones I fought."

"And there not alone, punk!" A giant mechanical ghost with flaming green hair said. The Titans immediately recognized him.

"Skulker? How did you get back in your ecto-skeleton? What are you doing here?" Danny asked.

"All excellent questions, catch!" Skulker said rolling a black box across the floor. It expanded and trapped the teen to his neck.

"I can't phase out of this, it's disrupting my powers?"

"And that's not all it does," Skulker pressed a button, and Danny screamed as volts of electricity tore through his body turning him back. The mechanical ghost walked forward and grabbed the teen by his raven hair, a machete sliding free from his other arm.

"Uh, heh, the glowing blade is new," Danny said nervously, Skulker smiled excitedly.

"You like it? I've had some upgrades! Now…"

"Enough! I didn't free you to kill the boy, Skulker. Your work is done," Vlad ordered walking in.

"Yes, well I…ugh, I've got to…go check out a book on the purple back gorilla. Again!" The ghost exclaimed before disappearing leaving the two humans alone.

"Skulker, the ecto-pusses, I…I don't understand?" Danny said bewildered.

"Of course not, you're like what, fourteen? Too young to drive and not in college yet. I sent those ghosts and others, to test your fathers' skills. Imagine my surprise when I find _you_. The second ghost hybrid his foolishness created," Vlad said.

"Second?"

As Vlad transformed, the Titans understood, and Danny screamed,

"Let me out!"

"Why? So you can go back to stumbling through your adolescence, desperately trying to gain control of your powers? Powers, by the way that I've had for twenty years. I have experience my child, and the money and power obtained through using those powers for personal gain, you see. _I could train you, teach you everything I know_ and all you have to do is renounce your idiot father," Vlad Plasmius said, his fangs glistening.

"Dude, you are one seriously crazed up fruitloop, that is never going to happen," Danny stated, and the Titans now knew who the teen meant when he said fruitloop.

"Yes, well once your father is out of the way, we'll see how you feel," Plasmius said disappearing in a swirl of green energy.

Everything seemed to move in double speed, the appearance of the Dairy King, letting Danny go, to him knocking Plasmius out of his father's body, throwing them back into the library.

"Daniel, stop. Think of the things I could show you, the doors I could open for you. You, Danny Phantom, and I, Vlad Plasmius, together we could rule."

"Forget it pal, your money can't buy my mom, it can't buy the Packers, and it can't buy me," Danny said firing again. Plasmius redirected the blast and a shield formed around Danny.

"That shield is the one Danny used to protect me and Raven!" Starfire exclaimed.

"This must have been the first time he needed it," Cyborg said.

"I know who you are, I'll tell my father, I'll tell everyone."

"And so will I. Honestly, if you expose me, you expose yourself," Vlad stated, and it was then the honking of the Fenton RV could be heard as it came barreling into the library sending stone, and books flying.

"Mind if I cut in?" Vlad said snatching Maddie.

"Let go of me!"

"Never again, woman."

"Maddie!" Jack screamed, and everything moved faster, Danny driving the RV. Firing until Vlad was drenched in ectoplasmtic goo and when he overshadowed his father in order to save his Mom. It made the Titans heads spin.

Danny walked up to Vlad in Jack's body a smirk on his face.

"How's it going V-man?"

"Ooh, you've overshadowed Jack. Ooh, I'm so sacred now what's next? A card trick?"

"Listen to me, I swear I'll walk out of my Dad right now and expose us both unless you agree to a truce."

"You're bluffing," Vlad spat. Danny sat him on the ground.

"No, I'm not. My parents will accept me no matter what, but if I expose you, well what will my _Mom_ think of you?"

Vlad flinched and bowed his head. "You'll be miserable and alone for the rest of your life unless you call a truce."

A malicious smirk came across Vlad's face.

"Using your opponent's weaknesses against him. I am teaching you something after all very well, truce. Eventually, you will join me by choice, you and your mother, but for now…"

And with a cough, Vlad flew high in the air and screamed.

"Curse you, Jack Fenton, your world renowned expertise of all things ghosts, has defeated me! Until next time, _son_ …Ahhhhh!"

The scene shifted and Danny was standing off to the side glaring at Vlad as the man bid the Fentons goodbye from his mansion. Jazz, though, looked up to the Titans a pleading look in her eyes before everything went up in smoke.

The team landed in Danny's room with Tucker and Sam sitting on the bed, Danny by the window.

"I just want to know where Valarie got all that ghost hunting equipment."

"I don't know, but she looked pretty hot," Tucker said dreamily, Sam punched him in the arm, before she spoke.

"That's not the point, Tucker. Valarie's the Red Huntress now, and she's hunting Danny Phantom because of her misguided notion that he ruined her life, and that he's evil incarnated. He doesn't need another person to hate him! The entire town already thinks he's a villain thanks to Walker and his goons, and all the other ghosts he has to fight day and night. Or have you forgotten also that Danny's own parents are planning on ripping him apart molecule by molecule?"

Tucker looked ready to argue when Danny turned around his eyes flashing green.

"Guys enough, we don't need this. Look, I understand you're worried for me, but don't worry. I can handle Valarie, I'm just worried about her. She has no idea what she's getting into."

"Do you think Vlad has something to do with it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since the reunion," Danny said before turning back to the window.

"You guys should go, it's getting late. Thanks for helping me patrol," Danny said smiling his goofy smile. Tucker placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No problem dude, and hey, call us if you need anything," Tuck waved goodbye, Sam gaving him a quick hug whispering in his ear 'you know we'll always be here for you.’

The images began to shift and Vlad's voice surrounded them, _"I'll give you a five minute head start."_ And suddenly they were in a forest, Danny running desperately through the trees.

" _It's called the Plasmius Maximus. It has just short circuited your powers for the next three hours. That's midnight."_

The teens' foot caught on a knot in the ground. Danny let out a yelp as he tumbled down the hill and landed in a small clearing, but he quickly rose. The leaves crutching underneath his feet and sweat trickled down his face. It was so dark. None of the group could see ten feet in front of them. Danny let out a breath.

"Calm down, Fenton. Mom set up camp underneath Cancer's constellation, I just have to…"

The air grew colder, and Danny froze, anxiously looking around. The leaves became cast in a green hue. In less than a second Danny turned around, bear claws were coming towards him. It was pure instinct to defend, instead of dodge. But the Titans knew Danny couldn't move quickly enough. So they watched as the teen flinched and raised his arms to protect his face and chest. One of the bears’ claws tore through his flesh from elbow to wrist in his right arm. Flinging him twenty feet back and into an old oak tree. Danny screamed as he held his arm and rolled, avoiding the bear that was barreling towards him. The thing smashed into the tree. Its scream echoing, and the tree fell. But the halfa was long gone, and the Titans were running beside him.

" _These are my latest experiments, what do you think?"_

Danny's blood looked black in the light, and his feet kept slipping on the leaves. The ghost wolves started howling in the night.

" _Oh, that's right, who cares what you think."_

"There's no way he can escape these ghost animals!" Robin screamed, unnecessarily dodging a tree.

"He's bleeding to heavily, his scent is everywhere," BB said his nose twitching. Just then Danny came to the edge of the tree line. It gave way to a ditch and large creek, the water flowing freely. The pounding of claws reached their ears, and Danny didn't hesitate, he jumped, and tumbled down the muddy and rocky edge. The Titans followed as he waded out into the freezing cold water. Hastily washing the blood off, letting it run with the current. The howling grew louder, and Danny sprinted to the other side. Pulling off his muddy no longer white shirt and wrapped it around his arm covering the gash. He hid behind a fallen tree just as the green glow reached the tree line. Danny didn't even breathe. The earth went up in smoke and the Titans lost their footings. They all screamed until they landed back in Danny's bedroom, hard.

"Ugh, what happened?" Beastboy said rubbing his back.

"Everybody okay?" Robin asked.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, opened the door, carrying Danny.

"Guys, I'm fine," Danny said protesting weakly.

"Dude, you just fought an entire army of ghosts and you've been dragging civilians into the ghost shield for the past four hours, you need to rest," Tucker said worriedly before he went to the computer and logged onto Amity Parks emergency broadcast.

"Tucker's right, Danny. You and Valarie both need to rest," Sam said.

"And speaking of Valarie, did you three figure out why she was wearing that strange ring?" Jazz asked as Danny collapsed onto his mattress.

"It's called the Ring of Rage. It belongs to Pariah Dark, king of all ghosts. Before the Ancients sealed him away into the coffin of forever sleep. Vlad, being the fruitloop that he is, wanted its power for himself, but the ring only works with the Crown of Fire. So, he woke the king up, couldn't defeat him, hid the ring by giving it to Valarie who now thinks Vlad's a good guy, and now I need to go tell him to stop this mess because he's putting innocent lives in danger," Danny ranted standing up.

"No, Danny, what will you gain by talking to Vlad?" Jazz asked pleadingly.

"I have to try Jazz. Besides, the quicker we solve this mess the quicker he can get out of this house. I can barely think, knowing that he's sleeping in the next room."

"Well, whatever you do, you need to do it fast," Tucker said looking out the window at the dome covered city.

"How the heck did we never hear about this?" Robin said as he looked at the terrible sight of the ghost soldiers frozen right outside the dome. Danny walked to the window and Sam joined him, intertwining their fingers solemnly.

"Man, this Vlad guy sounds worse than Slade," Cyborg said.

"He is." Everyone jumped when Jazz spoke, and the group turned to see her sitting on the bed, her gaze unwavering.

"Look, I don't know who Slade is, but you need to understand exactly how dangerous Vlad really is. He's ruthless, and he's not afraid to use anyone as his pawns. He used Valarie, and he's used me," she said her eyes pained.

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"At this fight, Danny fought Pariah Dark with our parents' ecto-suit. It increases the wearer's strength onehunderdfold, but it disappeared right after the fight. My baby brother nearly died saving our town and cleaning up Vlad's mess. The man stole the suit, and then later he forced me to wear it with bloodstream nano-bots in my system, and _ordered_ us to fight to the death. If Danny refused, I died, and if I didn't fight, Vlad would still destroy me," Jazz's voice shook, but she continued.

"He places you in the impossible situation. It was the main reason why Danny never told our parents that he was half ghost. Why he let the bounty stay on his head, why he let Valarie, the GiW, and our own parents hunt him. Because if they found out, there wouldn't be any reason for Vlad not to outright kill Dad and me, and force Mom and Danny to live with him."

"And how do you know that for a fact?" Robin asked his gaze stern, but Jazz smiled.

"Well, let's just say Danny bent reality once, and even though Mom and Dad accepted him…Sam, Tucker and I, we all knew. And so did Danny, Vlad won't stop."

The ground shook between their feet.

"What's happening?" Starfire screamed as the buildings outside collapsed.

"Danny can't keep this up anymore. C'mon, I have to get you to the next level!" Jazz screamed as her form began to flicker. And as she typed furiously, Robin couldn't help but look to the three friends standing by the window talking, oblivious to the danger around them.

The back wall blew out then and pitch darkness howled around the Titans, trying to suck them in. The computer screen hummed to life, and Jazz pressed enter. The memory trying to load, she turned to them with tearful eyes.

"Please…save….brother….get to…" But the wind was too loud and in a flash the Titans were gone, falling through the ceiling of Danny's bedroom into his apartment at Jump City.

The Titans were gasping for air.

* * *

 

**Part Five:**

"What just happened?" Robin asked standing up, noticing that Danny was asleep in bed.

"I don't know. It was like his memories were falling apart," Raven said, and the team grew silent.

"Is that even possible?" Cyborg asked.

"Friend Sam did say that this 'all access pass' was very hard to maintain," Starfire said. Robin frowned.

"It doesn't matter, we need to go back. We're too far forward and there's no way…"

"But what if we can't go back?" Raven asked her violet eyes hard.

"Remember, we're not here to shift through Danny's memories, we're here to find him. Prying into his life is not helping us."

"But if that's the case, why is Danny still willing to show us all this?" Cyborg asked.

"What are you five doing in my room?" A cold voice sounded, and the team froze, whirling around to see Danny sitting up in his bed glaring at them.

"Danny, is that you? Have we finally found you?" Starfire exclaimed, but as she ran forward, Robin held her back.

"No Star, that's not him. Look at his wounds."

And it was then the teens looked down and noticed red stained gauze wrapped loosely around his torso and left arm. The halfa stood, and they noticed one foot was wrapped as well.

"His injures are consistent to when I found him at his bookstore, right after the fight with the fire monster," Raven said.

"I said what are you doing here?" Danny snapped again taking a menacing step forward, Robin met his gaze.

"We don't have time for this. Look, we know you’re Phantom."

Danny froze for half a second before he laughed.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You have to listen to us. We know how you got your powers, we know about Vlad, and right now, we're doing are hardest to save you!" Robin said the urgency in his voice stopping Danny cold. Silently he appraised the rest of the team before his eyes widened at the realization that they were telling the truth.

"Alright, what are you trying to save me from?" Danny asked shifting his weight off the burned leg. Robin sighed in relief.

"We were fighting Slade down in his lair. He'd black mailed you and me into serving him. Everyone," Robin gestured to their friends, "came to stop him. Slade was going to kill them. I asked you to defend me as I infected myself with the same bloodstream nano-bots. I didn't realize that what I asked had hurt you," Robin said bowing his head as Danny shuddered, blue eyes hardening. The leader turned his gaze back to his friend.

"By the time we realized what had happened, you were half catatonic. Raven's pulled us into your mind, into your memories, and if we can find the real you…"

"I'll be able to wake up." Danny answered factually, his posture relaxing.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I did and…" Robin tried to say, but Danny cut him off.

"Don't be, you had no idea this would happen, and right now, we need to focus on getting you guys out of here."

"We're not going anywhere without you," Beastboy said walking forward. "You're our friend, and I don't care if you hate me or us for the rest of your life, but you're going to accept our help, and we're all leaving here together, got it!"

The Titans were shell shocked, and Danny couldn't seem to stop staring at Beastboy's outburst.

Danny let out a huff. "Fine. Now, how have you been going through my memories?"

"With this," Robin said taking the game chip out and handing it to the halfa. Danny stared at it before he abruptly turned and walked out of his room.

"Hey, wait up!" Cy yelled and the Titans followed him past the library and into the new lab.

"So, this is where it was," BB said.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Danny shrugged and plugged in the device to his computer, the screen clicked on and his fingers began flying across the keys.

"Huh, well you appear to be on the right path."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"What I'm saying, is that eventually you would have gotten to what it was I was trying to tell you. The problem is: messing with memoires is complicated. One thought, can lead to an entirely different memory. It's sort of like playing pick-up sticks, you might be trying to go for blue, but instead you move green and then you're stuck with it. It's a roundabout way, but sooner or later you would have gotten to the right memory."

"So what went wrong?" Raven asked looking at the screen codes. Danny pulled up the main frame and thousands of levels appeared. Some bright blue, others blood red.

"My memories started collapsing. Most non-essential things, easily forgotten throughout the day, but see these dark red ones. These indicate that my mind is now locked, and the neurological path ways cannot recall or send the memories to me or you of that matter," as the teen explained this, five more blue levels turned red.

"So?" BB probed.

"It means Danny's mind is beginning to shut down, that his hard drive is crashing. If you think of the mind as a computer system, that is," Cyborg said helplessly, and the Titans all looked to Danny who wasn't paying any attention. Instead he was typing away, entering new codes.

"Aren't you freaked out? You're practically dying!" Beastboy said.

"Um, technically I'm half dying, and I can't afford to panic right now. Look, I'm pretty sure I know what I wanted you guys to see. I can't send you back to that particular level, but I can send you to some memories that might trigger that line of thought," Danny said before pressing enter, the bar began to load.

"How do you know all of this? And what about Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, they knew how to work this too."

Danny looked to Robin and smiled kindly, he looked fourteen again. "Safe guards, all the memories you were in were probably on the verge of collapsing. They were there to keep you guys safe. I'm probably the same. For whatever reason you guys really must have made an impression on me."

The Titans smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, friend Danny," Starfire said. The screen began to glow, when Danny looked to them again his face fell.

"Just be ready, you won't like what you find," he said and the screen flashed.

The Teen Titans were standing in front of a plain white door labeled room four-nineteen, the florescent lights humming quietly, and the smell of sick and the dying filled there noises.

"We're in a hospital," Cyborg spoke solemnly, the Titans walked through the door, and sucked in their breath. For there, sitting on top of the bed sheets was Danny. His skin black and blue. Bandages wrapped around his throat and arms, his messy black hair utterly disheveled. But what killed the team were his eyes, which were empty and hopeless. The door clicked open, and Vlad stepped in. His face was drawn and tight, his back rigid and stiff. Danny didn't even acknowledge him.

"I just finished speaking to the lawyers. With Jack and Ma…Maddie gone, I'm now your legal guardian."

Danny shifted away, blue eyes watching the sunset.

"I guess you must be happy. I willingly get to join you 'cause of a damnable piece of paper," Danny whispered bitterly, his voice horse.

"That's not true, little badger."

"I'm not staying with you. I don't care if I have to kill you, I won't stay with you," Danny hissed his eyes steely, but the Titans could see fear. Yet Vlad growled, his patience spent.

"After everything I…look here, child, who would take you in? A freak with powers? Because of what you are, you'll always be feared, always be hunted. And your deranged sense of morals will always put you in the impossible situation. And Daniel, I warn you now, you will _always_ be betrayed," Vlad hissed his eyes burning red. Danny's remained ice blue.

"No. You're wrong Vlad, someone will…"

"Someone will _what,_ Daniel? Save you? Please, don't be so naïve," the man sneered. "No one will even be able to _understand_ you. How could they? That your powers are born from you very soul, that by being dead you are alive. You can't even begin to comprehend what will happen to you! That not every power you gain will be easy. It will most likely tear you apart through pain and suffering! And when will you wake up, and _see_ that I'm the _only one_ who will ever understand this? Daniel, I…"

"Get. Out."

It was a demand.

"Daniel?" Vlad stuttered.

"Get out, get out, _get out!"_ Danny screamed the entire room began shaking. Waves of energy pouring from the teen, and Vlad stumbled back to the door before he fled the room. Danny collapsed into dry sobs, blood trickling down his chin. The sun rays hit the room and cast everything in orange, and suddenly they weren't in the hospital room. But on a street, and everything was on fire.

"W-where?" Starfire asked. But she couldn't finish her sentence for there, lying on the pavement in front of a burning hell that used to be the Nasty Burger, if the charred sign was anything to go by, was Danny. Everything was silent. Even when the fire trucks pulled up and the firefighters desperately fought the blaze that was consuming everything. The Titans watched a man pull Danny away even though the teen began to struggle having woken from his daze. It took three firefighters to keep Danny at bay. To pull him away from the debris still raining down, the earth gave a violent shake, and the rest of the building caved. The Titans looked away from the inferno, the one thing the halfa couldn't look away from. Until the firefighter pulled Danny into a hug and his muffled voice broke through.

"It's alright son, there was nothing you could have done. It's alright," the man kept whispering the mantra over and over as other noises steadily grew louder. The blaring of sirens, the orders from other firefighters, yelling to control the fire, that they didn't want another explosion.

"I read in the papers that six people died in an explosion at the Nasty Burger, that Danny was the only one to survive," Robin spoke softly, his voice dead. Cyborg didn't know what to do, so he said the only thing that came to mind.

"An explosion. It makes sense, if Danny was close enough to the blast, he might go temporarily deaf. If only for a moment," he said, but as the sirens wailed, the team knew that that moment hadn't been enough.

"It's going to be alright," the firefighter whispered. Only the voice grew deep, and reminded the team of a gravel road. Danny and the firefighter disappeared, and there, standing in their place was a ghost. He had pale blue skin and blood red eyes, a scar running across his left eye. He was clothed in purple robes as if he were an archer, a grandfather clock placed inside his chest, and he held a staff in one hand a stopwatch suspended in the middle. The ghost merely chuckled at the Titans' gawking faces.

"Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to come in?" The man asked, his form shifting to that of a child. And it was then the Titans realized they were no longer standing in the scorched parking lot, but in front of two giant carved doors. The team walked in, following the ghost as he travelled through the corridors, clocks of every kind floating around them—frozen— green sun filtering in from the stain glass windows.

"Who are you?" Robin asked finally finding his voice. The ghost shifted once more, his smile nearly concealed in his long white beard.

"Introductions, very well: I am Clockwork Master of Time, and I am the reason Danny was forced to lose the ones he loved."

"What!" The Titans yelled immediately forgetting that they were about to fight a guardian in Danny's mind. Clockwork merely sighed, his form shifting once more.

"You see, I was charged with the task of eliminating Daniel's time to prevent the destruction of the worlds."

"What do you mean?" Robin snapped not backing down from his fighting stance. Clockwork floated over to a swirling portal and from it he showed them.

"Ten years from now, Danny Phantom would grow up to be the evilest ghost of all time. No one could stop him, and eventually the worlds would be destroyed. The Observent's ordered me to take away his time. But they only see time like watching a parade. I see it from above and the twists and turns it might or might not take. I brought Danny here through these twists and turns. Until he chose to go into the future, it was there he met Dan Phantom. And it was there he learned how this future came to be, in order to prevent it."

"But if that's the case, why did his family die?" Raven asked, Clockwork closed his eyes.

"You must understand. The decisions Danny makes are greater than you know, the same goes for you five. A simple test, the C.A.T, resulted in his demise. The Nasty Burger exploded and with it, it took the lives of Jack, Maddie and Jazz Fenton, his best friend Tucker Foley, his girlfriend Sam Manson, and Mr. Lancer. Danny was forced to live with Vlad and when the man offered to take away the pain and suffering, to take away Daniel's humanity.

"He took away Danny's morality. A part of his soul."

"Not just a part, Robin, all of his soul, and when Daniel's evil self ripped out Plasmius's ghost self and merged them together the result was this."

"But Danny's family still died. If you sent him to the future through a series of unfortunate events, how?" Beastboy asked hurtful anger in his voice.

"Dan Phantom left Danny in the future and came to the past in order to make sure his timeline was assured," Clockwork said the portal swirling, showing Dan hovering above the very people he once loved strapped to an overheating boiler, Danny bravely fighting. "Danny defeated his evil self but at a price, he wouldn't have the strength to save his family. This was absolute."

"Then how, man?" Cyborg screamed and Clockwork met there gazes.

"You were," Robin breathed.

"Yes; I was. Danny deserved a second chance, but the Observants interfered and that was a twist the road might take. Daniel lost everything from their ignorance and my arrogance."

"Then please tell us, how do we save friend Danny now? We cannot bring his family back," Starfire said her eyes red from the tears she'd been able to keep at bay.

Clockwork shifted into his middle form.

"First, you must discover Danny's fear, then his enemy, and why such events are playing out as we speak, and I will take you there," the Ghost of Time disappeared.

"Ah, great, I _hate_ riddles!" Beastboy screamed.

"We just need to think through this logically. First, what does Danny fear?" Robin asked.

"Vlad," Cyborg said. "He didn't want to go with him. Danny was afraid he'd lose his soul, and you heard Jazz, Vlad isn't the type of person to take no for an answer."

"Two, then if that's the case, who's his enemy?" Robin countered.

"Himself," Raven stated.

"Think, if friend Danny's fear is losing his soul, then wouldn't his enemy be himself for giving in to Vlad."

"Now why?"

It was this question that stumped all of the Titans. Beastboy scrunched up his face in concentration when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, what did Timey mean when he said _'such events are playing out as we speak?'"_

"I don't know," Cyborg said.

"We're in Danny's memories, he's catatonic, so there's no way he'd be fighting himself right now," Raven answered calmly, Robin's head snapped up.

"That's not necessarily true, we're in Danny's memories, but Danny isn't in any of them. Instead he sends us a game, protects us with guardians, while he's fighting to keep us on the right path to finding him. Because Danny isn't in his memories, he's in a _dream_."

"The reason Danny's memories were falling apart…" Cyborg realized.

"Was because the real Danny's fighting in his dream. He couldn't simultaneously maintain both," Raven said, Beastboy looked at them in confusion.

"So wait, let me get this straight, while we've been wandering on the wrong side of the road the entire time, Danny's been fighting himself?"

"Not on the wrong side, you were merely on a converging path," Clockwork interjected reappearing. Robin stepped forward.

"We know where Danny is, we know he fears himself and we know his enemy is Dan. Now take us to him!"

"I can't."

" _What!"_ The Titans screamed. The Master of Time looked at them with young eyes.

"You have yet to figure out why?"

The teens yelled in frustration. Raven felt like smiting the ghost, but as she looked to her friends she remembered Danny mumbling in the Spectra Speeder as Skulker chased them, _"together, we made six."_

"Danny's afraid of losing us, just like he lost his family. That's why he's fighting, now take us to him!" Raven yelled, causing the team to jump. And with a smile Clockwork held up his staff and pressed the stop watch.

"Time, In!"

The team landed in what used to be a city, but the only thing blacker than the destroyed buildings, was the grey overcast sky.

"Okay, this is creepy," Beastboy said looking at the ruins.

"It doesn't matter. Titans, spread out. Danny's here, and we're going to find him," Robin ordered. Everyone began to separate when an explosion shook everyone as one skyscraper fell.

"Titans, go!"

The team tore off, heading towards the plume of smoke. They rounded the corner in time to watch as Robin's neck was snapped, before he was thrown to the ground. No more than a broken rag doll. Dan laughed.

"What's wrong, Danny? Can't scream anymore?" Dan mocked to the boy underneath his boot. Dan pressed down and _crack_ , three ribs were broken. Danny didn't even whimper. Desolate ice blue eyes only staring straight ahead.

"Danny!" Robin screamed and red eyes snapped up to the Titans, a maniacal smile contorted the ghosts face.

"Well, it looks like you've brought some new friends along to play," Dan said his deep baritone voice sounding insane. Robin glared.

"Let him go, now!"

Dan laughed and forced Danny to his knees, clothes torn and tattered. The halfa wouldn't even meet their eyes.

"Why, so you can _save_ him? Please, you can't fight destiny _boy_. Little Danny here has already figured that out," Dan said gesturing around them, and the Titans, who had been so focused on saving their friend never bothered to look at the hell around them. Robin's death had been merciful. Nothing like the bodies surrounding them, blending in to the blood stained rubble. Cyborg couldn't even recognize his own body. Beastboy gagged, and Starfire and Raven could only stare in horror. But what was worse, were the bodies next to theirs; charred but still recognizable.

Dan lifted Danny high off the ground, and the teen choked as his windpipe was crushed, the ghost prepared to snap his neck.

"You will always become me."

"Azarath Metrion Zenthos!"

Black energy encompassed Danny, and Raven yanked him away from death's embrace.

"Titans, go!"

No one hesitated. Cyborg fired every chance he got, giving Beastboy an opening, and the green tiger tore through the ghost's shoulder with ease. Raven and Starfire pounded away at him until Robin leapt in and kicked the thing into a building three streets away. The team stood there panting, enraged, until they remembered their friend.

"Danny!" Robin breathed as they ran over to him. His now white hair matted in grim and blood, his green eyes wide with shock.

"Danny, it's us. Your friends, remember?"

"What are you doing here?" Danny choked out as the team knelt down around him.

"Saving you, dude," Beastboy said placing a hand on the halfa's shoulder to reassure not only Danny, but himself as well. Danny could only stare in confusion.

"But how, this place is always the same, they die, you die, and Dan begins to snap my neck, then… I don't know."

"You wake up. This place is a nightmare Danny, it's not real," Raven said her violent eyes hard, desperately trying to convey this to him. The halfa's eyes widened.

"If that's the case, then why not let Dan kill me. I'll just wake up?"

Cyborg cut him off, "Because you’re catatonic. If Dan kills you now, you'll stay dead."

"You can't let him win," Robin pleaded. "We didn't come into your mind so you could give up."

A yell resounded hollowly throughout the town and the sounds of buildings falling reached their ears.

"Friend Danny, please, we know you are afraid of losing us. But know this, we are also afraid of losing you," Starfire said, fat tears finally rolling down her cheeks. Danny felt his heart constrict in his chest. He looked back to Robin.

"Please, Danny. I know what I did hurt you. And I'm so sorry, but I'm begging you now, don't make us go through the same pain you went through. I know it's a selfish thing to ask. But, you just started being a part of the team. You finally started calling us your friends."

White hot fire shot towards them, and Raven barely had time to shield them as it pelted into her black wall until she collapsed in Beastboy's arms.

"Raven!"

"You really think you can defeat me, you pathetic Titans!" Dan screamed, storming towards them. Blue fire all encompassing. Danny stood then, and he took a step forward, all the injuries on his beaten body disappeared. And two glowing green eyes met burning red.

"No, they already have."

The halfa looked down to them for a moment. "Cover your ears," he instructed before he let out a wail. It was focused, the dense waves only striking Dan. But the noise: the cries like the voices of the dammed, the power, consumed everything. And at that moment, Cyborg was glad he could at least mute one of his ears. In seconds, Dan was destroyed. His form turning to black smoke as his molecules were ripped apart until nothing was left. Danny collapsed on the ground transforming back into his human self.

Everyone was stunned into silence, and Danny turned beet red before smiling sheepishly.

"So um, I'm apparently catatonic."

"Friend Danny!" Starfire cried before she lunged at him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. Raven woke shortly to Danny trying to claw his way towards freedom. But the big goofy grin on his face told her the teen probably didn't mind.

"Rae, you're awake!" Cy said helping her stand.

"I am. What happened?" She asked.

"Not much," Beastboy said dismissively, "just some major mind blowing butt kicking!" He screamed, before launching into a full explanation of the events. Everyone other than Raven tuned him out, and Robin looked over to his friend.

"So, how much do you remember?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I remember collapsing down in the lair, and hearing you guys calling me. But I was too weak. Still, when I was falling I thought I heard…"

" _Danny, you promised!"_ Sam screamed. "A friend call me out on one of my promises I was about to break. And I made that video game from my memories hoping you'd find me. Or that I could at least find a way out. I didn't exactly expect to fall in here," he said gesturing to the land around them, green grass slowly growing from the rocks as the sky began to clear.

"Well, all that matters is you’re back," Robin said.

"Thanks."

The Titans leader nodded before he looked over to Raven.

"Raven, take us home."

She nodded and a pure black bird engulfed them all.

* * *

 

**Part Six:**

The group slowly came to. The candles having long burned down the wick. The sun was filtering in through the windows. Beastboy sat up and held his nose.

"Ah, man, it smells like a burned dumpster truck." he whined while Danny chuckled and Raven punched him in the arm. Starfire shot up and clapped her hands together.

"Please friends, we must celebrate this now joyous occasion! We must make Glor pudding and five finger crisp…" Danny cut her off hesitantly.

"Thanks, but I really should go. I've been missing for a couple of days now and Fixit's probably debating on if he should hunt me down." _Or go into the Ghost Zone_ … _again_ , the halfa thought fondly.

"Oh, well you will return later, yes?" she asked and the group all looked to him expectantly, Danny hummed nervously.

"S-sure."

"Great, see you soon man!" Cy said clapping him on the shoulder before promptly yelling "I need to take a whizz!" and running off to the bathroom. Beastboy fled soon after.

"Boys," Raven said disgusted. Danny chuckled and headed to the door before he paused and looked back to the three remaining Titans.

"That reminds me, I remember feeling you walking around in my memories up to the parking lot when I was fighting Dan, but after that it's all a big blank. So, how did you get into my dream?"

"You gave us guardians," Robin said before continuing. "Every time a memory was about to collapse, you'd send us one. Clockwork was the last. He said if we could answer his, or _your_ questions, then he'd take us to you."

A knowing smile came over Danny's face. "I see. Well, thanks again," Danny called, the living room door closed.

 “I need to rest." Raven said.

Starfire and Robin bid her goodnight. It was only as the sunlight illuminated the red and yellows in the room did a thoughtful expression cross Robin's face.

"What is wrong?" Starfire asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Robin replied giving her a reassuring smile, "I just remembered something."

"What?" Star asked, waiting patiently for her friends answer. Robin turned to her with a small smile on his face.

"I just hope Beastboy didn't insult the Master of Time by calling him Timey," he said and with this he walked away, leaving Starfire to process what he meant. She dissolved into giggles.

"Yes, that would be most upsetting."

* * *

 

AN: Read & Review

If you read through this you will discover that Danny's guardians (a.k.a. Tucker, Sam and Jazz) only talked to the Titans _after_ a memory and Danny was always in the background. Even the older Danny was a part of a memory as was little Danny even though he was from another time.

Clockwork was the only guardian who didn't follow the sequence, he was alone. Also just because I'm evil, what if the two Danny's weren't Danny at all, but a certain meddling ghost, maybe?

*At my high school we we’re called Band nerds. Not geeks. Then it's: Choir freaks, and Orcha dorks and of course Drama queens.

~Rin

 

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This story can be found on my fanfiction account and will slowly be updated here as I edit it. If anyone would like to beta it, drop me a message.
> 
> ~Rin


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